In the Shadow of Abuela Carmela - Essay Example

In the Shadow of Abuela Carmela As a new American, I am hard worker and believer in the American dream, knowing that if you work hard, dedicate yourself to the task at hand and face your challenges head-on, you can do anything in life. Through this personal essay I hope to share with you the important events of my life, the events which shaped my personality as well as my outlook on life. My early experiences were varied but for young person, also tremendously exciting. I was fortunate to have been raised in the caring arms of my grandmother – affectionately known as “abuela Carmela” – and her resounding influence on my life resonates today. The following is a personal overview of my life in the shadow of abuela Carmela. I was born in December 1962 on one fine day in Brazilian waters aboard a Venezuelan ship. That was when my family had decided to flee the military dictatorship in Venezuela. My early childhood memories are filled with my grandmother’s presence and my “abuela Carmela” was a strong woman who took care of me and taught me everything I know today. At the age of eighteen, looking for new horizons and some independence I decided to join the Army. What a crazy thing, to look for independence in the military! Once there, you have to ask for authorization for doing every single thing, even to think. However, I think I have made the right decision joining the military because there I learnt a lot and I got the necessary knowledge and tools to become a good and honest man, and a brilliant professional. It was during this trip to Brazil, as my family fled Venezuela, that I came to this world on a ship. Once there, my father who was a sergeant in the Army, managed to stay for several months in the state of Roraima (close to the Venezuelan-Brazilian border). Despite leniency for the young family with a newborn baby, the Brazilian authorities tried to deport us back to Venezuela. Fortunately, we escaped again. We went back (by land) to Venezuela by ourselves and stayed in a remote town on the border. It was there that my father was arrested by the military and was sent to Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela. He was charged with conspiracy against the government and was sent to a military prison. Therefore, suddenly my mother was in charge and she managed to take care of five children by herself with the help of my grandmother. After four years my father was released from prison. He reunited with us but two years later my mother and my father got divorced because he became an alcoholic. At this time I was 7 years old, and I was growing prematurely. I was very aware of how the surrounding events were affecting my family and my perception of life. Sometimes I got frustrated because I was in a broken home without the protective father figure to take care of us. Growing up without a father figure at my side did not really affect me much during my infancy – thanks to the caring guidance from my wonderful grandmother “Carmela.” She replaced the absence of my father and filled an important void in my life. The teachings of my grandmother were the strongest influence I had in my life during my childhood and early adolescence. Thus, I grew up without a father and subsequently I had to take care of many things at home supporting my mother who was working, and four siblings. Eventually, I became the backbone of my family and I had to work and to study simultaneously in order to help my mother provide for the household. Given the confluence of events during my childhood, I needed the support of my grandmother who, fortunately, was there all the time. She taught me how to manage things. She taught me the basic values and moral principles to be a good child and also how to become a good and responsible man. I started working at the age of fourteen to help my mother to pay the bills for home and supporting two my sisters to pay their tuition at college. During weekends my friends used to invite me to party but I could not go because I had to work the whole weekend. My grandma taught me that I had to study to be prepared and to succeed in life. She also taught me to be generous helping people in distress. She used to say that “a man should have his word of honor, it’s a must”. The word of a man is more important than any signed paper, and no matter how and what, a real man has to keep his word and stand by his acts, being responsible and facing the consequences of his behavior. A good son is meant to be a good husband and eventually a good father. Her teachings and support rooted deeply in my personality. Today, I proudly say that I would do whatever it takes to keep up my word and face the consequences of my acts. Once I reached the age of 18, I applied for admission in the Military Academy of Venezuela immediately after graduating from high school. I was accepted and I got into this military university as one of the top ten out of more than six thousand people who applied at that time for admission. Accordingly, only 160 applicants were accepted. Once there, I got separated physically but not emotionally from my family. I had their support and they had mine all the time. My performance in the military was excellent; I earned my bachelor degree with honors and the rank of second lieutenant. I performed very well as a cadet – I was ranked the third out of 143 graduating officers. In the Military Academy I obtained the tools to succeed in my professional life in conjunction with the teachings from my home. I was in the top five of my class in every promotion. I became a good officer and a good man the way my grandmother taught me. Three years after graduation, I got married. I have three daughters who are now 26, 21 and 16 years old and also I have two grandchildren of three and one year old from my oldest daughter. Because of my profession most of the time I had to be out of home. Last year, after spending 27 years in Army, I decided to quit with the rank of Colonel and came to the US to reunite with my family that has been here since 1998. Nowadays, I have some investments and I am studying again to become a lawyer, and eventually I will establish a foundation to help people in need. After all these years, I can say that the different teachings at home, as well as personal and professional experiences have given me the necessary tools and the basis to accomplish any activity in life, to evolve and become a successful man. The sufferings and precariousness from my early years as a child and as a teenager gave me the maturity to overcome some emotional and physical obstacles. The help, wise and caring advice of my grandmother who was responsible for shaping my personality to be a responsible man, was one of the strong influences in my life, as well as my training and education in the military. Somehow, and despite the rigorousness and inflexibility in any military regime, I got a degree of independence while I was there. Today I can say that I am enjoying my strong and united family every single day of my life though I still miss my extended family back in Venezuela. The legacy of abuela Carmela remains with me to this day and I am forever indebted to her for all that I have become. Read More