"The World's Strongest Man"

     “Good morning, Con!” and “Have a wonderful day!” are the first words I hear when I wake up every morning at 6:20 a.m. There is nothing more soothing than those very words I receive everyday from my dad who lives in California by himself without us. It is 6:20 a.m. in Missouri, which means only 4:20 a.m. in California when my dad makes an effort to wake up, so he could catch us before we head to school. Every morning two rounds of greetings come our way from sunny California. The first round starts at 6:20 a.m. for his two eldest children who attend high school and the second at 8:30 a.m. for his two younger children who attend elementary school. That’s one of my dad’s many ways of showing us his love. He is not just a man of words; he is a man of actions. My dad has become the man and wonderful father he is today by his “Never Give Up!” philosophy in life. He has a life full of setbacks but with no less accomplishments or character.

     My dad has overcome many setbacks in his life. Losing a loved one always takes its toll on any human being. Imagine losing five siblings all at one time when you were escaping from Vietnam in the search for freedom. After the Communists became the hegemony in Vietnam, many people wanted to flee Vietnam. Having too large a family, my grandfather first sent out five of his twelve children to escape by sea with others, but they all disappeared during the journey and were never seen again. To this date, the cause remained unknown. The rest of the family was devastated, and my grandmother physically and emotionally never recovered from this loss. My dad’s second setback was when he escaped from Vietnam, at only seventeen years old, on a boat with twenty-two strangers to Hong Kong then to Taiwan two days later. For five years he had to support himself while he studied in Taiwan, and he left to France for nine years. In 1985, he finally came to the United States because by then the rest of his family had also arrived. While his parents settled in California, he moved on to Massachusetts due to his work. After so many years of separation, my dad felt he had lost the closeness from his siblings. It hurt him, but he couldn’t blame them. He always regretted that he did not have the chance to pay his parents back by taking care of them during their old age. After what he had gone through with his own family, again today my dad doesn’t live with us. Although my dad never complains, I feel as if I have a boulder on my shoulders, for this situation all came about only because of my desire to compete at the highest level possible in the sport of gymnastics.

     As many setbacks as my dad has overcome he has accomplished just as much. After escaping from Vietnam, my dad had to survive on his own in a whole new country without speaking one word of French or English. How did he inure to France and the United States and their cultures, until this day I still do not understand? My dad had worked his way up in the restaurant business from a bus boy to a bartender to a manager to become an owner of one himself. When we moved from Massachusetts to California in 1994 when I was less than two years old, my dad once again had to start from scratch. He had to switch from the restaurant to computer business starting as the lowest paid employee to work his way up to become the owner once again. Unfortunately, tried as he did many times, he couldn’t find a job compatible with the one he has in California.

     Despite his heavy responsibilities and a heavy heart, he is always smiling and always thankful to God for all His blessings. My dad has a character that beats the odds of most men alive. He never complains, only faces his problems no matter how tough they are. Not only does he constantly remind us not to give up, he himself sets a good example. My dad also has the best sense of humor in our family. There’s no other time that we laugh like we do when my dad is in town. Despite his humor, when it comes to discipline he is very firm. He will not let you get away with anything until you understand exactly what you have done wrong. He said that the greatest aspect he has learned through the years is that “No matter what, do not give up in any circumstance and never run away from your problem, but stay strong and face it.”

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