Michael Carlos

Life unexpectedly throws many obstacles at you without warning. Some may falter and some may just rise from it. Not many can climb out of a deep hole they were thrown into. My father was the person that could. About three years ago, during our nation's mini recession, he was laid off. He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen even before this incident.

His boss was acting very hostile towards him and giving him a hard time; little did he know that it was to get him to quit instead of laying him off. He stressed out, had sleepless nights, and rarely had a smile on his face. The night he got laid off was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. He didn't cry because of anger from losing his job, but he cried from worrying how he will be able to support his family with the new low budget. It was a sad time for my whole family. We had to go through seeing my dad, who was such a strong, happy man, broken, unsure, and unconfident. He attended these meetings that would help him find a job, and things were starting to steady out. A couple weeks after my dad lost his job, my mom got a call from her old job, offering her a job if she wanted one. Of course she did! It was such perfect timing!

My mom got back to work, and my dad continued attending those meeting. Life was a struggle, but not really. We still had food, shelter, clothes, and each other to keep up going. The only difference was that the extra things had to be removed. I had to quit piano, skate less, and help around the house more. I could see my father gaining back the confidence that he had lost and the spark in his eyes seemed to grow as he was constantly being praised at those meetings, for he stood out, and as he had help and support from many who cared about him. Three months after the incident, my father was offered a job from the Kinecta Company in Manhattan Beach. He was placed in a higher position than before, and the salary was also much more as well.

Everyone was so proud of him. I was proud of him. The saying, "hard work pays off," rang true in my head. I could not believe the luck we had. My dad deserved that job because of the hard work, passion, and ambition he gave to get it. That is what a true hero is. One who does not let the obstacles faze them, and rises up in victory.