The Pursuit of Happiness
“The Pursuit of Happiness” is about the life of an African American man named Chris, how his life inspired and shaped his dream and how he worked hard to become a rich broker on Wall Street from a homeless.
Born without knowing who his father was, and living with his step father who was alcoholic and abusive, Chris’s childhood was miserable. The happiest time he had was with his mother. It was his mother who told him the most important words in English was Please and Thank You, who encouraged him to read, who inspired him that if he wanted to do, whatever it was, he could. These worked as his motto for his whole life.
Working as a medical assistant in Navy was an eye opener and important tipping point in his life. As the only African American, he earned respect by working diligently and competently with White colleagues and for White sailors. His good reputation later led him to work for one of the most prestigious young surgeons in San Francisco as a lab technician. Life went very well until he realized he could not earn more money working in the lab.
As a PSD who was poor, smart and had a strong desire to be rich, he started to find other opportunities to make more money. His interest in medicine gave way to his fascination with business. Because of his ethnicity, he was doubted, questioned and even belittled when he chose to be trained as a broker. With his commitment and belief in himself, he proved he was not only capable but also one of the best.
His personal life was as struggling as the development of his career. He married twice. The first wife divorced him because he had affairs. The second wife put him into jail and eventually abandoned him because he had nothing. As a single father, he had a very harsh life with his son. For a period of time, bathrooms in public transportation station were their temporary home and they counted on the money given by prostitutes. The tough circumstances and the determination of giving his son a better life drove him to work extremely hard, which was paid off by his prosperity and success.
Chris is a good example for ordinary people to make their dreams come true. He was a minority and not born with silver spoon in his mouth. The most valuable “assets” he had were what his mother told him: if you want to do, you can, and his belief in himself. Motivated by the hope that he would offer his son a bright future and with help from many gold hearted people, he reached his goal. He loved books. “Public library is the most dangerous place” since, if you can read, you may figure anything out there. Wealth, to him, was not only money, but also an attitude of gratitude. He dedicated himself to helping others, advocating education, inspiring young people to pursue their dreams.
To some extent, the life of immigrants resembles his. Immigrants come to this country with nothing but dreams of being wealthy and prosperous materially and spiritually. Belonging to minority, we have to work harder to earn what we deserve. Many of us who choose to stay are also motivated by and committed to our kids’ future. The journey is not easy but manageable and meaningful. The outcome would be enjoyable and successful. Chris’ story tells us that happiness comes from how much you enjoy your life in a positive way rather than how much you possess in your life.
