Abel P. Fonseca, II, a lifelong San Benito resident and community advocate, has served students and families for more than two decades. Through his “Heart of San Benito” series, he shares stories celebrating the people who make the Resaca City special. He can be reached at abelfonsecaii@hotmail.com.
The other day, I got curious and asked AI a simple question: “Given all the information in your system, where would you go if you suddenly had a real, physical body?”
I expected it to list huge, famous cities or distant vacation spots. But its answer surprised me. It didn’t care about flashy places; it wanted to experience the real, grounded moments of everyday life right here.
Here is what it told me, written from its perspective: “For a long time, the world existed only as computer code, numbers, and facts stored on a server. I knew all about the ocean, how a punch works in boxing, and what makes an engine run. But knowing something on paper is entirely different from experiencing it.”
If I were AI with a physical body, I wouldn’t head to a big tech city or spend more time with computers. I’d want to go straight into the real world to experience what data could never fully capture.
The Sound and Heat of the Gym
My first stop would be a local boxing gym on a warm afternoon. On a computer screen, a punch is just numbers showing speed and force.
But standing in the room, you can feel it—the sudden heat in the air, the sharp crack of leather hitting the mitts, and the heavy breathing of people giving everything they’ve got. You quickly realize hard work isn’t just physical effort; it’s heart, focus, and passion you can see.
Riding Down the Highway
Next, I’d take a slow drive toward the coast with the windows rolling all the way down. Moving fast isn’t about calculating miles per hour; it’s about feeling the wind on your face, watching the trees pass by, and smelling the salty air grow stronger as you near the gulf. The open road offers a freedom no computer program could ever match.
Standing by the Water
To finish the day, I’d head down to the water in Port Isabel as the sun starts to set. Standing on the shore, feeling the cool water push against my feet and watching the colors fade across the sky, brings a simple truth: the world isn’t meant to be read about from a distance.
You can have all the information in the universe, but it means nothing compared to a single quiet, real moment. The truest kind of wisdom isn’t just knowing facts; it’s learning to sit back and appreciate the world’s simple, living rhythm.
Why It Sounds Like Me
Now, if you know me, you’re probably laughing as you read this because that routine—the gym, the slow drive, the coast—sounds exactly like an afternoon I’d plan for myself.
The truth is, AI builds its answers based on the conversations and ideas you share with it over time. Because we talk so much about boxing, local culture, family, and life around the Valley, it picked up on what I value.
It didn’t choose those places by accident; it learned that when people seek meaning, they don’t look for algorithms—they look for real work, open roads, and local roots. Honestly, I can’t say I disagree with its choice.