Franky's Story
"Success is a measurement of a person’s story. I have great admiration for my parents for doing so much with so little. Their success is not defined by the little wealth they have accumulated or the dream of home ownership. Their success is the challenges of being productive citizens. I am able to write this article because by statistical chance, my father and mother shared their success. It is far too easy in our entitlement generation to label ourselves as successful, and it would be disingenuous to label as myself as such. Instead, I would rather write about how I may one day be successful like my parents. Their rules for success are rather simple: work and knowledge.
There is no substitute for knowledge. My parents never had an opportunity to further their education past 6th grade out of consequences and missed opportunities they chose a life of physical work. Education was the most important lesson my parents taught my sister and I. In hindsight, I could not be more grateful for my parents constantly praising the importance of an education. My diploma (or “that” piece of paper as my father would say) is the lottery he never won. I know my parents are proud that they were able to see both their children graduate college.
Work is what my parents did for my sister and I. There are different levels of work, and it is subject to diminishing returns. Working longer hours means a sacrifice of leisure time or rest. My mother and father always made time for spending time with us, instilling their values and teaching us an honest way of life. This meant they had very little time for vacations, and life’s leisure to make sure that our homework was done and our stomachs were full. I may not work around the clock as my parents did, but I am able to sacrifice a little leisure time for a better future.
I am a few years into a professional career and although I am not yet successful, I believe that I am on the right path. I share the same beliefs as my parents. I respect work and enjoy knowledge. My sister and I continue to further our education and have greater goals than a 40 hour work week. The rules are simple, but success is reserved for only those who truly understand this."