CHAPTER 1
Telling our story
I have learned that everybody wants to live at the top of the mountain without realizing that true happiness lies in the way we climb the slope. —Johnny Welch (often attributed to Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
People always ask me to tell them the story of how my wife, Laura, and I came to live in the United States. I don't know if it is because people find our lives interesting, or if it is because the way I tell the story is funny. What I do know is that people like stories. One of the questions I am repeatedly asked is what our life was like in Uruguay before we moved to the United State, how we adapted, and what we sacrificed in pursuit of the American dream.
For years I kept telling myself that one day I would put it all down on paper, but I never did, until now. Today, while I was looking at a book of political cartoons by the Argentine cartoonist Joaquin Salvador Lavado, better known as `Quino', I found a reason to tell my story.
2: A picture is worth a thousand words.
Quino's book, "Fine, thank you. And you?" is a collection of cartoons reflecting South America's socioeconomic situation in the 1970's. Ironically, and what inspired me to tell my story, Quino's book reflected the current socioeconomic situation in the United States and throughout the world. I marvelled that a social situation drawn forty years ago still applies today. If the publication date were changed, no one would know it was from the 1970's!
In fact, Quino's book applied to numerous periods throughout history. I was shocked to discover how true it was that "history repeats itself" and even more disheartened by the fact that the reason history repeats itself is because people make the same mistakes time and again.
Throughout time human beings keep tripping over the same stone.
I considered the role I played in the scheme of life. I could not stop history from repeating itself. I could tell others how I weathered the storm in the bad times and made the most of the good times. The best way for me to do this was to tell my story and describe the methods I used to survive the bad times and enjoy the good.
I am still surprised by how Laura and I got where we are today. The only way I can explain it is through the poem "Walker" by Antonio Machado:
Traveler, your footsteps make the path,
and nothing more.
Traveler, there is no path,
the path is made by travelling.
Travelling you make the road,
and looking back
you see the path you will never trod again.
Traveler, there is no path,
only wakes upon the sea.
Translated by Sophia Silva
In Uruguay, I raised hens and sold their eggs. When I think about going from being a chicken farmer to living the American Dream, I realize in life you must be flexible, recognize opportunities, and not be afraid to try new things and work hard. When people say I am lucky, I tell them the truth: the more I work and the more I expose myself to new opportunities, the luckier I get.
3: Strike while the iron is hot.
Work is a form of entertainment for me, a hobby. I do not count hours or measure the amount of effort I put in to work. I never focus on what the result of my efforts will be. I concentrate on the now, seize the moment and strive to be the best I can. I never let time go to waste because time is a treasure we cannot buy and the present is a gift to enjoy now.
My work is done once I am proud of the result. Until then, I know there is more work to be done. Like artists and writers who work until they are satisfied without knowing if anyone will buy their artwork or book; when I do something, I do it to the best of my ability without consideration of financial reward or personal recognition.
A STORY: Jack desperately wanted everyone to see him as highly intelligent. He dedicated all his efforts to reach this goal, but he could never achieve it. One day he decided to stop trying to impress people and instead concentrate on just doing his best. From that day, people commented how smart Jack was.
4: Quality is pride of workmanship.
CHAPTER 2
Why the USA
To get where we are today, Laura and I sacrificed greatly and remained open-minded in our search for opportunities. I am where I am today because of her support. She supported me in every endeavour, understood me and put up with me, which is not easy!
When we decided to come to the United States, she was six months pregnant and neither of us spoke English. We left Uruguay on a cold afternoon in May. Actually, I am not sure whether it was actually cold, or if my fears and uncertainties made me feel cold. On the day of our departure, friends and family surrounded us at the airport. On the surface, I acted confident to convince everyone we had made the right decision and to show I had everything under control. Despite my bravado, I was very scared. I avoided direct eye contact with my friends and family because I was afraid if they looked into my eyes they would see my doubts and fears.
I remember the look of desolation on my in-laws' faces. They were inconsolable as their only daughter was moving far away, to a foreign country with an unfamiliar language. As we waited for our flight to be called, the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I knew many people were thinking the same things:
• Why leave? You can be successful here.
• Who will help you when you need something? Laura is pregnant.
• Where will you live? This is your country. Your family is here. You are crazy.
The only person courageous enough to ask these questions was Eduardo, Laura's father, and he kept repeating them. A part of all of us wished time would stand still and they would not call us to board the airplane.
The agony became so maddening we decided to say our final goodbyes and go through to the passenger-only area, the point of no return. Certain we were making the right decision but sad to leave family and friends, both Laura and I cried as we boarded the plane. As we took off for our new life, I forced myself to stop worrying about the many uncertainties. It was best to wait until we got there.
5: I will see how deep the river is once I start to cross it.
We moved to the United States because the deteriorating economic conditions in Uruguay made chicken farming no longer viable. Continuing to farm would have meant failure and economic disaster. I had to do something to earn a living and repay our debts. The question was, "What?" I began searching for a way out. Around this same time, I attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting and by chance met an industrialist in the natural stone trade. Curious by nature about how things are made, I asked to visit his operation. He agreed and promised to have his manager arrange a time.
At this point, I should tell you I am dyslexic and often see things differently than most people. The day I visited the factory, it seemed obvious to me that a few minor adjustments to the production order would significantly increase productivity. I casually mentioned this to the manager and thought nothing else about it.
After the tour, I went to the office to thank the owner for arranging the tour. In the course of our conversation, he told me he wanted expand his market and start a marble and granite distribution company in the United States but had not finalized the details of the business plan. Although I knew nothing about the stone business, I listened with interest never imagining he would consider hiring me.
Two weeks later the owner called and asked to meet with me. We met and he explained more about his plans for starting up in the United States and said they wanted me to be head up the operation in America and, if possible, start immediately. Shocked by his unexpected offer, I asked him to please repeat what he had said. He repeated his offer and told me to consider it and come back to him.
That night, while Laura prepared dinner, I replayed the meeting. At first she did not take me seriously and suggested I misunderstood, or the company was making empty promises. Both sceptical, we decided to wait a few days to see what happened.
In my mind the question kept popping up, "Why would they choose me?" I didn't speak English. I didn't have experience with natural stone. I did not have knowledge of the American market.
6: You can't get something for nothing. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is not good at all.
Two days later the owner phoned and asked if I had made a decision. I told him I had not but would like to learn more about the job description and the compensation.
As it turned out, they were serious and offered me a base salary plus twelve thousand dollars for housing and furniture. They also agreed to pay for our trip, Laura's medical bills and English classes for both of us.
The job offer in place, Laura and I analyzed our business loans to determine how much we owed and then calculated our repayments based on my earnings. If we were frugal and managed our money carefully, we could repay our debt in a little over a year. Once we repaid our debt, we could begin to think about our next step.
I realized how fortunate I was to have a second chance to apply everything I had learned. I could not have asked for more, and I hoped to be wise enough not repeat the same mistakes again.
7: He who has nothing to lose has everything to gain.
CHAPTER 3
When I was a child
I grew up in an upper middle class family. My mother was a dentist and my father a physical trainer in the military. Most families owned one car, mine owned two or three. In Uruguay, in the 1970's, the number of cars you owned defined your social class. My family travelled each year and owned a vacation home in the countryside.
I have had a spirit of independence all my life. The summer I turned nine I decided I wanted my own money and needed a job. I approached my parents with my idea and promised to maintain my grades if they allowed me to get a job. Lifelong learners, my parents made education a priority. My mother often read and studied to keep abreast of the latest dental technologies and methods and my father studied to climb the ranks. To gain my parent's consent, I knew education had to be part of my proposition.
8: The secret to receiving the desired answer is in formulating the right question.
A STORY: Two young monks, who loved to smoke, wondered if they were allowed to smoke while praying. After discussing the subject for several days, they could not reach a conclusion so they decided to ask their superior for advice.
The next time they met, the first monk quickly asked, "What did your abbot tell you? Can you smoke?"
The second monk shook his head, "No, he was furious and chastised me for asking! What about you? What did your abbot say?"
The first monk shrugged, "My abbot was very pleased with me. He said it was not a problem." The first monk thought for a moment and then said, "What exactly did you ask?"
"I asked if I could smoke while I prayed," said the second monk.
"Ah," the first monk said wisely, "That's the problem. I asked if I could pray while I smoked."
My parents accepted my proposal. I suspect they thought no one would hire a nine year old and if they did, it would not last long.
This marked the beginning of my journey for financial independence, which continues today; a journey peppered with wins and losses, with every successful endeavour accompanied by a few mistakes.
I have always been and still am fascinated with acting and cinematography. The idea of imparting emotions and conveying positive and motivational messages through storytelling intrigues me. My ideal job would have been something in the film industry. Unfortunately, Uruguay did not have a film industry at the time so I set out to discover what jobs were available.
I started with the local pizza bar. Each day after school, I showed up at the bar and volunteered to help with anything they needed. At first they ignored me and did not take me seriously, but I persisted and continued to show up every day.
9: Let your work speak to your character even when you're not around.
After a few days, they gave me small tasks to complete. I gladly did whatever was asked. After a couple of weeks, they began leaving the dirty cups and plates in the sink for me to wash. I realized they relied on my help. In Uruguay in the 1970's, automatic dishwashers were not commonplace. I washed everything by hand. At first it took hours, but I quickly learned to be more efficient and faster. When I completed one task, I asked for another. This attitude won the respect of my boss and my co-workers.
Seeing my eagerness to learn and the quality of my work, the pizzamaker offered to teach me to make pizzas. I eagerly accepted this offer on the spot.
The server pulled me aside when he heard this and reminded me that my earnings came entirely from tips from the servers. If I wanted to continue receiving these tips, in addition to washing dishes, I would now have to help clean the bathrooms. Without hesitation, I assured him this was no problem.
I now had three jobs and was not even on the payroll! Throughout my life, my work ethic of being reliable, taking initiative and being willing to learn new skills has led to many opportunities. I have the same attitude today as when I was nine.
My true day of triumph came the day the owner, Perfecto, asked me to run the cash register. This was an honor! No one other than Perfecto touched the cash register, which was positioned in the middle of the service counter where you could see everything happening in the restaurant. Because I was too short to operate the register, I had to sit on high bar stool.
This was one of the proudest days of my life. I had only hoped for a small job, and now the owner trusted me enough to ask me to do something he allowed no one else to do. I worked at the pizza bar for approximately four months and earned decent pay for my age. I knew, however, this was not the life I wanted. It was time to move on.
One final note on the pizza bar: Perfecto was a Spanish immigrant 100% dedicated to his work. He lived behind the bar and was the first person to arrive each morning and the last to leave each night. Eight years after I left the pizza bar, I heard Perfecto had opened two new restaurants, one in the most expensive part of the city. I gained a renewed appreciation for his work ethic and, proud to have worked for him, I went to visit him at his new restaurant. I saw him behind the cash register. With the exception of his gray hair and a few wrinkles, Perfecto had not changed. I had changed considerably and grown from a child into a teenager. At first Perfecto did not recognize me but as soon as I said my name, he became very emotional and invited me to stay and order whatever I wanted.
He sat with me and told me how he had come from Spain and started his pizza business. I told him about my life. As I left, Perfecto assured me there would always be a job for me in his restaurants. That was the last time I spoke to him. But I am ahead of myself.
10: Persevere and you will triumph.
CHAPTER 4
Looking for opportunities
When I was ten, I left the pizza bar in search of a new job. Each day on my way home from school, I walked past a local body shop. The guys were always moving the cars around by having one person behind the wheel and the others pushing. It occurred to me that if I worked there, maybe I could be the person behind the wheel. I could learn to drive and earn money!
For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. —Matthew 7: 8, New Living Translation
The next day, I went in and spoke with the owner. I explained that I lived in the neighborhood and would like to help out in the afternoons after school to learn about cars. He agreed on the condition I avoided any hazardous work. Unlike the pizza place, the body shop was full of equipment, heavy materials, and a variety of young immature guys who loved playing practical jokes.
