Back
when I was child until mid-twenty, I always wanted to go, work and live in
America. Like any other kids in neighborhood and school trying to be
eloquent in English language to pursue the dream of going to America, I tried it
but found difficult. But what drove further my interest to go to
land of opportunities was my ever fascination in those long-pointed nose, tall,
blonde white men and women, the ample apple trees, and the desire to see and
touch the snow that only in books, pictures, posters and Christmas cards I
see.I want to experience white Christmas, even do an apple-picking job, or feel
the cold of winter and the scent of falling leaves during autumn season, the
summer and spring, befriend Americans and bring them home for a visit to show
how Philippines is. Seems everything is just childish and trivial
things.
It’s
the land of milk and honey, for so many opportunities to make a lot of money in
the land. Believing that going there will give me all contentment I need
–like raising a family of my own, blooming career, receiving hefty salary,
sending money to sustain and build the dream house back home in the Philippines
that I will soon home on my retiring plan. That is mean to say, it
will make me the best that I could be if I will be in the place that I am
calling my greatest American dream.And it was not just childhood’s innocence
anymore when I was already at the age of building career in our small town
yet still I am envisioning myself of going to America to migrate as my ultimate
and greatest dream. I was even getting a bit envied from distant
cousins, childhood friends and acquaintances who were able petitioned by their
parents, aunties, uncles and grannies.
Not
until I reached my age of 30’s, my earnest desire to migrate to the home of the
Yankees had gradually subsided until dream no more for this land of
opportunities. Who doesn't want to go to every Tom, Dick, and Harry’s
dream place? Indeed I still want anyway but this time it’s not for a
career but instead just as sojourn. I’d realized that I can’t stay
there for a long period of time. I’d just realized that there are
things that I don’t feel in western life. The reality is that when
you grow older and get matured, you’ll realize so many childhood things in your
life that you will not really need later. While growing up, you will
learn what you really want for yourself. I don’t want to settle in a
fast-phase state of the art place, modernized behavior and points of
view. The biggest influence is my simplicity in life, I just woke up
that I cannot barter the satisfaction of having life to be simple and live it.
As
an enthusiast of experiencing going to different scenic places, I want to check
the land of green pasture for a visit or tour only to experience how is to be
in the other side of the earth. There are no slightest bits and
pieces of bitterness over the heard someone, colleagues
and neighbours who made it to pass and grant their visa to United States of
America. There is nothing to do with difficulty to get there,
neither its mounting cost of living, nor merely sour-grapping if this so called
my greatest American dream did not flourish. The fact that I did not
even apply to obtain the visa and eventually denied, I don’t feel
sour-grapping. It is purely part of knowing and setting your
priorities while you are getting old. Though I may not able to see
America all my life, it will be fine with me and I am still be pleased to
whatever places I may have seen. Maybe I can make it there but if
how and when that is I am uncertain now but not bothered.
By Alex V.
Villamayor
November 25, 2014
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