I do what I do because of all the opportunities I have. It’s a product of who my parents are, where I live, what time period I’m in, but mostly, my own attitude. I take opportunities because I am so lucky that my parents do what THEY do, that I live in a culture that nurtures dreams, that I live in a time where almost anything is possible, and that I don’t take any of these things for granted.
My mom didn’t have a lot of opportunities being born and raised in Vietnam. Her family was very poor, her father was fighting in the war, and she had four siblings to take care of. When she escaped Vietnam and came to America, she took opportunities that were alien and challenging to her. She was brave and the hard work she accomplished allowed her to create the life she has now.
I was born in the United States, so I automatically have so many opportunities that are lost upon people not born here. I am not bound by family obligations. I can vote. My government protects me. I get a free education. I have just as many opportunities as a boy. When I went to Vietnam over the summer, these opportunities became glaring. In Vietnam, you live in filth and dirt because there are no regulations for sanitation over there. There is no judicial system. You work because you have to, not because you enjoy it. It is a blessing living in the United States.
We live in a time that glorifies fantastical things. A black man is president. Lady Gaga walks around in a dress made of meat, bubbles, or Kermit the frog dolls. MTV’s hit show Jersey Shore exposes us to an insanely riotous way of living that we relish. For better or for worse, there is no doubt that as time goes on, opportunities open up. I want to bask in the fact that I have a chance to do and be almost anything these days.
I am still young. I may not have wisdom but I have perspective, thanks to my parents. I will never pass up on an opportunity I have in life because it’s too hard, or too much work, or I’m scared. People have experienced things that are truly hard to overcome, that have required a huge amount of work to accomplish, and that have been terrifying to face. I do what I do because there is no better time and place than here and now to be whoever I want to be.
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