When I was a kid, Superman is always my hero, and heroes for me are simply creatures that only exists in movies and in our imagination, but that was then.
This story is about a real hero that exists, that inspired me with what is more important, though have his own failures, never seems to give up.
In a place far away from the roaring sounds of the city, where most of the people earned their living from the bounties of the sea and fruitfulness of their land, was a boy at the age of 10. He often peep in a classroom door where a teacher discusses her lessons. The teacher who ignored him most of the time did not succeed, finally approach him.
"If you want to be a part of this class, why don't you enroll and then come in proper uniform with your things of course." that's all she said, with no emotions at all.
"Ma'am I neither have a uniform nor things for school" the boy replied in a voice so pitiful.
"Then ask your parents to buy you some, and come back here before its too late."
And that was it, they boy was so hesitant to follow the teacher's advice for he knows that he'll fail anyway if he'll try to do it, went on begging his father to let him go to school. The reply was a strong NO, he should rather go to the sea and help the family earn a living, all his older brothers were given a chance to education and all of them wasted it so why once again waste money to that damn schooling where in the end he'll do no good at all. The boy's determination didn't weather, instead he fetch water for the neighbors so he can buy his things, work day and night to earn money and at last with all his determination to learn, he enrolled alone.
That's was the start of his stepping stone to a simple dream that he always longed to happen. Learn how to read, write and count. He started his first grade at the age of ten, bearing in mind that education chooses no age. With an intelligent plus hard work which is already inborn in his system, he learns fast. He'll prove to his father that he can do it alone, he'll prove to the world that destitute is not a reason for having an access to education. For him not loose this precious chance, he do his classmates assignments, school works, anything so they'll him lend their books. Finally he graduated in the primary school at the top of the class. Secondary was no longer a problem for him, as long as he stay focus in his dream, he knows that he can do it. He did the same thing. Run errands, work harder, fetch water, everything under the sun, he'll do it just to fulfill his dream, step by step. The result? He graduated in the secondary level, once again being the top of the class.
College? He ask himself if he can still do it. It's a different world out there, it will simply means that the classrooms will no longer be situated in a unprivileged town, that the sea and so with the land will no longer be there to help him. New people, new faces. With everything being new, how could he pursue? But then, if there's a will, there's always a way. And so the man, no longer a boy, went through his unknown ordeal. He enrolled with a small amount of money in his pocket and applied for a scholarship. With all his luck and prayers, he passed, not only this, he study as a working scholar. Arranging and cleaning cadavers for medicine students, sweeping the corridors of the university. Being a janitor and a student at the same time. He manage to earn his degree. A Bachelor of Science in Business Education. It doesn't end there. He went to a bigger city to push his luck more. He work as an accounting clerk and at the same time, went to a graduate school to earn his Masteral Degree. He graduated and became a General Manager of a big trucking company.
And now he's a retired Grand Father of nine grand children. Serving as a real inspiration that scarcity is not a hindrance to success. that being empty-handed is not a reason for being denied of real education, that destitute will not make you a lesser man, it should serve as your armor to gain more, to pursue more, it should not let you stay to that same ground where poverty didn't make you move, that emptiness make you stuck to that barren life where you live, where your father and ancestors live.
He's my hero, he's my father.