“Every day I thank God and Mr. & Mrs. Hanson for working so hard to get me here and for helping me to become the woman I am: happily married with two amazing kids. What I want most for my children is for them to be successful in life, to be respectful, and to be kind.”
"My mother and I were in separate refugee camps in Cambodia, and she was evacuated to the United States when I was three years old. I was too sick to travel, so she arranged for me to stay with family friends until she could come back and get me. But before she could come back, the friends I was staying with were evacuated to a different location, and I had to be left behind with a foster family. In fact, I was with many different foster families over several years. My mom never stopped looking for me though. She found her older sister (who was still living in Cambodia) first, and that aunt contacted an agency that helped locate lost family members. I was finally found when I was six years old, but the foster family wouldn't release me to them until a price was paid. They demanded money and something like five or six cows before they would agree to my release. My mom was sending money from the United States to my aunt and uncle who were negotiating with the foster family. It was a long process, but finally the price was paid, and I went to live with my aunt and uncle when I was 7 years old. Five years later, I had to be separated from them again to go with another family to a refugee camp in Thailand. We were on a waiting list until we could come to the United States. I finally left Thailand when I was 13 years old and rode an airplane to the U.S. by myself. In those days, people could come through the airport and meet arrivals at the gate. I came out of the plane and there were people everywhere, lined up on both sides. I was confused and excited, and I didn't recognize anyone. Everyone stood back except for one lady who came running toward me. I hadn't seen her since I was 3 years old, but I knew she must be my mom. She hugged me, squeezed me, and cried tears of joy.
“Every day I thank God and Mr. & Mrs. Hanson for working so hard to get me here and for helping me to become the woman I am: happily married with two amazing kids. What I want most for my children is for them to be successful in life, to be respectful, and to be kind.” "My mother was always reading to us when we were little, so we turned out to be big readers too. We always had books in our hands. As we got older, she had to make a rule that we could only read at the table at lunchtime. We couldn't bring a book to the supper table because she wanted us to talk to each other. Some of my childhood favorites were Anne of Green Gables and the Little House series. Everyone has different tastes, of course, so there's no one book I would recommend to everybody, but my all-time favorite is The Great Gatsby." Burke's Book Store, located at 936 S. Cooper, 38104, will be celebrating their 140th year in 2015. Owners Corey and Cheryl Mesler are excited about the events being planned to commemorate this milestone. Be sure to check the website from time to time for more information.
"The biggest struggle of my life has been poverty. I came from the projects---the real projects---in Chicago, and life was terrible. Gangs and violence every day. In order to survive, I adapted to my surroundings and got involved in gang activity myself. The turning point came when I realized how many people I knew had passed away as a result of the violence. I didn't want to be a statistic."
"Was there anyone in particular who motivated you?" "The person who had the biggest impact on me was me. It didn't take somebody from the outside to tell me what was right and wrong. I knew that myself, and I decided to make a change and live for the good, not the bad. There are gangs and violence everywhere, so I wouldn't say I had to get out of the environment to make a change. I just had to make my mind up. I had to decide whether to go to the left or the right. I've made a lot of changes in the last six years, and I'm on the straight road now. The future's looking bright." "Too many people are only looking up and trying to get what other people have. They need to be looking down at who's around them and realizing how much they've already got and how precious life really is. They need to be throwing out a rope to somebody else that needs a lifeline. I don't have much, but if I see somebody who's hungry, I'll give them something. If I have fifty cents, I'll give them a quarter. I know my purpose is to love and care and share. To hear some people tell it, they ain't got nothing to give, even if they got millions."
"I moved here from Jordan and bought this restaurant three months ago, but I've been a chef for 40 years. I love my work! I cook all the food myself. I grind all my own spices. Everything is fresh. I experiment a little with this and a little with that, see how it tastes, make my own recipes. Nobody touches my food. Nobody! I work 20 hours a day here, 7 days a week. I never leave. I never take vacation. I sleep only 3 hours every night. Three hours only! "I have all nationalities of customers: Europeans, Jews, Muslims, black, white, everybody. Interaction with customers is very important. The customer is always right. This is the best food in Memphis. I don't say it's the best in United States, but it's the best in Memphis. When you eat the food, it goes to your brain and then to your stomach, and you remember me." The Mediterranean Pita Sandwich and Grill is located at 4514 Summer Avenue, Suite 9, Memphis, TN 38122 (near Aldi's). If you haven't been there lately, you haven't been! Everything is different, now that Mustafa, owner and chef, is in charge!
"Nine years ago in December, after leaving from the convenience store at the corner of Jackson and Hollywood, I was mugged. Shot in the head four times. The perpetrator was so cold-hearted that after shooting me in the face and me falling to the ground, he stood over me, forced a pistol into my mouth, and fired 3 more rounds. One bullet literally went through the roof of my mouth, through my skull, and out the top of my head, removing some of my brain tissue. I was in a coma for three months, attached to a machine that was breathing for me. The doctors took my brother and sister aside and told them I had been diagnosed brain-dead, and if I did come out of the coma, I'd never walk or talk again. If they wanted to relieve me of my pain and suffering, they could always have the plug pulled. They even recommended it. My brother and sister came by my bedside and took one of my hands in each of their hands and begged and pleaded for me to wake up. I couldn't hear them, but the Lord heard them. All at once, I squeezed their hands and my eyes opened. I was delayed, but I was not denied. At first, I was blind, but my sight returned. After a few months of physical therapy and with the help of the Lord, I recovered. I'm walking, I'm talking, I'm breathing on my own, I can see, I'm in my right frame of mind, and I'm saved and sanctified. I'll tell you something else too. The Lord is a habit-breaker. You know them three months I was in a coma? He was cleaning me up. This coming December, I'll celebrate 9 years of being clean and sober. Delivered from crack cocaine, alcohol, and cigarettes. I still have pieces of bullets in my head, but I know there's a God. I have a personal relationship with him."
"The best advice I ever received was from a Sunday School teacher who told all of us in the class never to give up. Even when things seem hopeless, there is always a ray of sunshine coming. Since recently losing most of my vision (due to a stroke in 2011), I have had to learn how to navigate the world partially sighted. Many activities which used to be easy now take several tries, but I never give up. That teacher's advice has come back to me many times."
"Everything interests me. I started learning French in the ninth grade because I wanted to study in Paris and become a French teacher. I also wanted to be a medical doctor, but then I got a scholarship in the dentistry department at the University of Health Sciences in Phnom Penh. During my third year in University, our family moved to the United States, and my future changed again. Even with so many changes, I thank God for blessing me to be here and making me strong with an amazing life in this new land."
"My grades looked like I was a genius, but when I got out of school, I didn't know anything. I had learned what I call the 'politics' of school: behaving myself, not causing trouble, doing all the right things, not asking questions. My teachers liked me, and I faked it all the way through. In college, I made friends with smart people who taught me how to fill out applications, how to take tests, and how to get by. I had my Bachelor's degree and was in graduate school at the University of Memphis when I finally admitted out loud that I couldn't read or write past the third grade level. A stranger overheard and approached me. He said, 'I can show you how to teach yourself to read' and he did. He told me to get two books: a dictionary and How to Read a Book (by Adler & Doren). At first, they just sat here collecting dust, but he kept calling me. Week after week, he called to see what kind of progress I was making. Finally, I decided I was going to do this. Once I started, I got so excited about reading that I could hardly stop to eat or take a shower. Whole worlds opened up to me: history, philosophy, travel, literature, cultures, religions, biographies. I bought an electronic dictionary too, one that pronounced and defined words, because there were so many words I had no idea how to say. I love to read now. These books are like my family. When I have a question, I can just pick up a family member and ask."
"I really appreciate my husband. He's my anchor. He's very supportive, even when my Irish temper acts up. Since I have teenagers, that happens pretty often."
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