My dad tells me of all these great jobs he had when he was young. He made great money for that time, for being a Latino, and for not being fluent in the English language. He came to the US and made his own breaks. He knew he had to work harder then anyone else to succeed. He knew he had to make a better place for his family, so he used his gifts and talents to make that happen.
My dad retired as a landscaper. He never owned his own company, but rather worked for someone else his whole life. He reminds me of his journey and of all the missed opportunities he had. Maybe because he felt he couldn’t do it? or maybe because he felt he didn’t deserve it? Maybe it was his challenge as a Latino in search of his American dream? When he finally retired I asked him why he left all those great jobs? His response has always been the same,
“Me senti feliz y libre trabajando en el campo”… ” I felt happy and free working out in the fields”.
Let me tell you something people, I worked with my dad for a few days and I felt no joy nor freedom out in them fields. It was tough work. I couldn’t handle it, that after a few days I quit. But it showed me how dedicated my Dad was. It reminded me how much he loved us. Maybe my Dad knew his limits or maybe he didn’t tap into his greatest potential. Never the less, the fact that he did what he loved was enough to inspire me. Enough to inspire me to dream beyond what the city block in Pilsen had to offer. This was all a lesson in the making for his children. It didn’t make sense then, but it sure does today. It’s awesome to hear my dads voice reminding me I can do anything I put my mind to, telling me that one day I am gonna make it. Maybe Dads American dream was for us to dream beyond what he foresaw. A dream for us to succeed regardless of our social status our ethnicity. Regardless of our upbringing. Regardless of the opposition and rejection…
Today I am a young Latino husband, father and artist, pursuing a dream fueled by passion and God. There are still challenges, obstacles and hurdles as a Latino, but I am heading to place where I will feel happiness and freedom. Many of my ancestors left the land of their birth to make way for greater dreams. One day I hope to retrace their steps and travels and try to imagine what they felt as they traveled across the country into a whole new world… Today I am eternally grateful for their courage and sacrifice. Because of my grandfather and Dad, my journey began in Chicago, the city I was born in. It took me to South Florida and it has brought me here to Nashville TN…
to be continued...
-fuser+
