Life at Fourteen
You told me the story of how you came to America in 1970 when you were just 14 years old. You came as a visitor and decided this land will be your home. I can understand this feeling because I too am an immigrant. I came on a work visa after an employer, Appalachian Regional Healthcare sponsored me. Our lives in this new land were vastly different.
You came when you were barely a man but forced to become one. At such a tender age without your family to support you, there was the hard life to deal with. You had to work many odd jobs to survive but all the while going to school. You were able to use your street smarts to survive.
You worked as a busboy, furniture mover, dishwasher, construction worker, digger, toilet cleaner and many other menial jobs. One thing though that I know about you is this unshaken integrity. You never sold your soul to get what you wanted. You told me that there is dignity in labor. By the sweat of your brow and your arduous labor, you made it in this great land. The American Dream to you was born of sweat and hard work.
You had persistence, guts, and uncommon determination. When doors closed in on you, you looked for a window. And when windows remained shut, you climbed the walls. You always found a way. Many times your life hung on uncertainty but you did not lose your sense of hope, energy, and spirit. “God will make a way. Thank you God.”
Those were your constant prayers.
You came when you were barely a man but forced to become one. At such a tender age without your family to support you, there was the hard life to deal with. You had to work many odd jobs to survive but all the while going to school. You were able to use your street smarts to survive.
You worked as a busboy, furniture mover, dishwasher, construction worker, digger, toilet cleaner and many other menial jobs. One thing though that I know about you is this unshaken integrity. You never sold your soul to get what you wanted. You told me that there is dignity in labor. By the sweat of your brow and your arduous labor, you made it in this great land. The American Dream to you was born of sweat and hard work.
You had persistence, guts, and uncommon determination. When doors closed in on you, you looked for a window. And when windows remained shut, you climbed the walls. You always found a way. Many times your life hung on uncertainty but you did not lose your sense of hope, energy, and spirit. “God will make a way. Thank you God.”
Those were your constant prayers.