History and Hard Work
It is nearly lunchtime and I am sitting at a coffee shop sipping on a light-roast, 12-ounce coffee with brown sugar and oat milk to compliment the flavor. Before I even sat down, however, a question came to me that makes me question the nature of what I seek to do in my life. I am a recent college graduate, slowly finding the right answers to all my unanswered questions. Unlike many people my age though, I've experienced many things that have challenged me to be more confident in my approach to life. Some may consider this a statement of naivety but witness my daily efforts and you may understand.
From experiences like immigration at a young age to volunteering on an island for nearly three months; from playing sports all my life to placing 5th in a DII nationals rugby tournament with my college team, from starting many small personal projects to completing creative services for people around the world, I have done what I consider quite a lot for my soon to be 23 years alive. Of course, I cannot match the history of many well-accomplished individuals I find on LinkedIn as I search for my next full-time job opportunity, but it goes to show that I have put many efforts into achieving much of what I have done in life.
I cannot take credit for everything though, no way! I was blessed with a mother who deeply cared about her children and did anything for them to give them a good life, a step-father who was able to supply us with many of life's luxuries, a girlfriend who showed me a better path in life, and people who supported me in every way I can imagine. Many of these people too, however young or old, worked tremendously hard to get where they are at in their lives. I believe amongst many things that these are the people who will support you in much of what you do so long as you share similarities in determination, aspiration, hard-work ethics, politeness, mannerisms, and the will to do something bigger than yourself in your life. And, most importantly, to give back to others as a service to mankind.
My grandfather, Revaz (Rezo), is one of these examples, who along with my grandmother, Zaira, I cannot thank enough. Even with Zaira's passing some years ago and Rezo's constant daily task of transferring entire life histories onto papers that go on to be published into non-fictional literary works, they gave to my brothers and me a sense of determination, strength, and emotional endurance that not many people recognize.
Zaira supported Rezo since their marriage of 40+ years began. She was also the foundation upon which our family stood and remained connected with our relatives. Why was this important? Well, like Rezo's books account of the Soviet Union's destruction of people's lives, including his own family's, a backbone in a family like ours was needed to hold the entire tribe together. Only a woman of her soft, yet the amazingly strong caliber could do such a task.
And Rezo, the recognized and well-respected author in the Georgian literary community, wrote of our country's and family history with such context, details, and research abilities that a genius with photographic memory might manage the same.
That is why I am sitting here in my thoughts at a coffee shop, in downtown Chicago, thousands of miles away from my grandpa who I may see once every two years, and wondering... Wondering what it is that I can give back with hard work and determination like the amazing examples in my life have given.
Maybe such a question is what we should all be asking. You must have at least one person in your life that similarly inspires you to want to give back the way they have given to you. If you cannot find this person, please do yourself the biggest favor and find a person who will show you qualities that you'll want to emulate in your life, as well.
I'd like to end this piece by saying that, history breeds hard-working individuals, yet, without hard-working individuals, history is... well, just history; a moment in time soon to be forgotten.
Let's all seek to do something in life that puts us in the history books so that we may give back and inspire future generations to do something bigger than themselves.
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