I do what I do because I know that many people would love to be in my shoes. While I sit in the comfort of my home typing, there are homeless begging for change in the street and children dying of starvation in third world countries. It is a combination of witnessing sadness firsthand in society and listening to the experiences of my older generations that has led me to feel this way. My grandparents are evidence of individuals who sacrificed everything they had and left their homeland to seize better opportunities for their family. Sailing across the sea towards an unknown future, they left Taiwan with hearts full of hope and entered Brazil in an impoverished state hardly knowing the new language. Life was tough and growing up, my father’s younger days consisted of rigorous labor and ten plus hours of working per day as he tended the family shop. Despite being at such disadvantage for schooling since he had to work so much, he still managed to persevere and eventually come to America and graduate from college as an engineer. Throughout the years, my parents have taught me not through strict, demanding discipline, but by hard work and example. The unfaltering love that shines through all their actions, instills a desire in me to work my hardest so that one day I will be able to give back not only to them, but to my community.
My eighth grade teacher used to tell my fellow classmates and me everyday about how fortunate we are to have our five senses. I would always think bitterly to myself that this was an insensitive statement to make since I had become half- deaf at a very young age. For a while, I had often felt sorry for myself because of the disadvantages my disability brought, but this all changed when I met a girl with Down- Syndrome. What amazed me was how despite her huge handicap, she had the biggest dreams to make a difference in the world. My perspective changed 180 degrees. My eighth grade teacher was right, even though I was half-deaf, I still had all five senses and so much to thankful for. If anything being half-deaf has also helped me develop a more acute hearing in my right ear than a normal person does. The little girl actually had limitations to what she could achieve because her disorder affected her mental and physical development. Me being half- deaf? That may make things more challenging, but everything is still doable for me. I can still work towards my dreams.
Why do I do what I do? Because I realize how fortunate I am to have choices. I have an overwhelming abundance of opportunities in front of me and I’m learning to accept things as they come. I know I may not reach some of my goals because of the unexpected twists and turns of life, but I always try to approach each task positively with my best energy because life itself is a gift.
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