In life many influences help to shapethis sounds a bit off, consider rewording us but there arefew whom so great that they completely change the course of our life. Some have teachers, others celebrities, sports icons, or great thinkers, but for me, (comma) it is my father, Ndue Ndoj (You don't need to add your fathers name- personal opinion). My father is the father you envision when you think of a 1960's sitcom. He is loving, caring, and always there for his family but he has a certain foreign flavor to him that most parents lack. He is a man who demands discipline, respect, but would give anything for his children. He has been the anchor in my life that has kept me sane in this place we call our world. He has been the source of strength and determination that characterize me and he is the reason I have become the person I am today.
My father, through his words has tried to make me an honest, respectable, and hard working man in a world where, unfortunately, there are few. As a small boy, I did not realize the cruel realities of the world and the true nature of man; my father opened my eyes. At the age of 4 (may want to use the word, four- personal opinion), I received a shock that I would remember to this very day sometimes even dreaming of the horrors that I witnessed. In 1997, Albania erupted into rebellion, which turned into complete anarchy, and the world around me seemed to crumble. It became so chaotic and awful that it seemed to be hell on earth. My world was gone; everything I knew was destroyed. Morals, ethics, humanity, kindness, kinship all thrown by the wayside. Everyone seemed to let loose and, in those days, what I saw of the true nature of man terrified me. My father, however never changed; he never bowed to the madness; he never let it engulf him; and so he became my anchor in a world that seemed so distant. He protected me from turning savage like many of my neighbors and so called friends. During this time, my father shielded me physically and emotionally from the world. He taught me to become a man who has priorities, morals, and who values both law and order. He spoke to me about things such as virtue, respect, and manners, and he made sure that I learned them. He instilled in me a love for learning by buying me books to read and teaching me math and how to write. As a boy of almost five, I became a mini figure of my father. I loved him, respected him, and cherished his presence and the things he taught me.
After the rebellion was quashed and things returned to normal, my father knew we had to leave and so he entered the "lottery competition". The lottery winner would be presented with an opportunity to come to the greatest country on earth, America. He entered thinking it was a scam but hoped it wouldn't be and in three months time we received a letter stating we had won. My father without hesitation accepted, the offer and had already begun to plan our departure but I saw in him a sadness that I had not seen before. I realized it was because he was giving up everything. He was leaving his entire life, family, the only home he knew, and the job he had always dreamed of so that his children could be safe and have the best life the world had to offer. This fact weighed heavy on me then and now. It has become my drive for school, for my dream, and is something I always remember when I want to quit. After some time, we came to America and my family entered a world that was foreign to us. The second day we were in America, my father went to work with his friend at a tile company. He worked for 12 sometimes 14 hours a day to support us. He seemed to never sleep and was constantly holding his back yet he never complained. He never gave up and his sacrifices changed my life. He gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and in exchange he gave up everything. My father to this day gives up everything he has to try and give me the opportunities to become all I can be.
My father sometimes jokes around saying that the dreadful communist system did not hurt him and neither will the capitalist system. I see that he is tired- take this out . He is a man who has given up everything for me, my brother, and my new little sister. There is no way we can truly repay him. His influence is something that can never be replaced. He has molded me into the man I am today byteaching me a love for learning, virtues, the importance of family, determination, and what sacrifice really means.
- Very good essay. I made some corrections, and fixed a few run on sentences. Overall, a very moving story to say the least. You added descriptive detail. May want to run it through a word processor to make sure there are not grammatical errors. Good read though.
-Good luck
Andrew Naab
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