#136 - The Texas-Rican: Faith, Physics, and the Soul of Puerto Rico
Description
Guest: Reinaldo “Ray” Medina — physics teacher, theologian, and proud Texas RicanDrink of the Night: Homemade Coquito — Puerto Rican holiday coconut cream and whiskey blend (Ray’s twist on the classic rum recipe)
Ray Medina, a physics teacher originally from Cayey, Puerto Rico, joins the Whiskey Bros at the table for a night of laughter, deep thought, and Coquito. The conversation opens lightheartedly – cigars lit, whiskey poured – but quickly moves into the meaningful terrain that defines a true Bros episode. Ray shares his journey from the mountains of Puerto Rico to the classrooms of North Texas, weaving a story of perseverance, faith, and cultural pride.
The group dives into Ray’s unique philosophy of teaching physics: that conceptual understanding must come before calculation. For him, math is not the purpose of learning but the language through which we express the truths of the physical world. His reflections on how math connects to thinking – and how students learn to “translate” ideas through it – become one of the evening’s highlights.
From there, the Bros and Ray explore Puerto Rico’s history and the island’s complicated relationship with the United States. Ray describes a nation both vibrant and restrained — culturally rich, but politically caught between dependence and autonomy. His firsthand account of bureaucracy, corruption, and the lingering colonial hangover contrasts beautifully with his love for Puerto Rican food, family, and music.
Ray’s storytelling opens windows into island life – from the sound of Caribbean rhythms and the smell of roasting pork to the political lessons written into its soil. Between sips of Coquito, the conversation ranges from theology to colonial policy, from salsa to Pentecostalism, from hurricanes to independence. By the time the glasses empty, the listener feels they’ve traveled – not just to Puerto Rico, but through the living philosophy of a man who bridges science, spirit, and soul.
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