My history with self employment and self empowerment really starts with my heritage. Many in my family were college educated in their home country, the most academically prestigious being my grandfather on my dad's side with over 15 masters spanning every nook and cranny of Geology and Mineral Sciences. further along the family tree history gets murkier and murkier with the multitude of cousins and family struggles, but the most well known family members sit upon state supreme courts in Venezuela and an uncle of my father's opened up his own bank, large enough to be a regional staple.
I however grew up not within these spheres but within the bubble of the American Dream. My parents moved here as my mother was pregnant with me #FirstGenKid and from that point my mother and father always pushed me to seek an education as the prime source of my future security. I can't blame them for wanting me to be as intellectually smart as they were with even more opportunity than even they could've imagined but the struggle of being born in this country is you see the issues at a grassroots level more-so than others see the them in light of the promises.
My dad has opened several businesses, some thriving, others floundering. He always encouraged to pinch my pennies and work hard. I never really focused on what he did but hindsight gives me 20/20 retrospect as to why you can't rely on others sometimes. Looking back, the 2008 financial crisis took a toll on my whole family. My father, then a booming real estate agent, lost much of the company to the point of bankruptcy and liquidating the assets. After being accustomed to a well-off lifestyle, we reached the point where now a lot of our life is paycheck to paycheck.
I didn't like the prospect of college at first. But being the firstborn first generation child meant i had no bullshit excuse powerful enough to convince my parents to let me go my own path. I truly count my blessings today to learn, but I also find myself reflecting on what i could be doing with all my time that i regret the envy I feel for committing to such a prestigious and privileged thing it is to be at university. Hopefully through entrepreneurship I can create the time I overthink that i lost back and then some more.
I am no entrepreneur, but I wish to be self sufficient. That alone warrants enough merit to start my journey somewhere, so I'll make it here.
Hi Daniel,
ReplyDeleteLiving in Orlando I have met many people from Latin America and especially Venezuela, in resent years more then ever people have been making their way to the states to escape the corrupt and medieval system of Nicolás Maduro. You have said you’re not an entrepreneur neither am I and in an economy like Americas why take the chance on starting your own business when good paying work is easy to find? My parents were the first-born generation in America with their parents coming from Europe. My grand parents couldn’t find work, so they started their own businesses. On my father’s side my grandfather ran a pluming company until he was to old to work and then sold it to live off the money in retirement, my grandfather was from Germany. On my mother’s side my grandfather owned a shuttle company to move people around Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and around San Juan Porto Rico, he eventually sold the enterprise to retire, and he was orginally from Spain. My parents like you were first generation Americans that went to college and instead of starting their own business found work. I like them intend on working for and established business when I am done with college. Maybe your family will have a similar story if you decide to have children of your own one day. As you put it so eloquently “being the firstborn first generation child meant I had no bullshit excuse powerful enough to convince my parents to let me go my own path.” I’m sure once you have your degree you want regret the time you spent earning it.
I find it really interesting how well established your heritage with all the college degrees and businesses. It surely gives you the motivation to do great things yourself. I understand the feeling that being at university can feel like a waste of time because you have so much spare time and flexibility and know you can do something with it but don’t necessarily know what you should be doing. You and I both hope to make something great out of life, so good luck this semester.
ReplyDeleteDaniel,
ReplyDeleteYour story is really touching, my parents both went to collage and didnt finish! My dad was one course away from receving his BA but couldnt find the strength to finish. Hes always pushing me to finish everything I do now! Parents can be overbareing, but because they want us to be the better versions of them. <3