Rakan Alshammri
My Life
Life is
like a ball of rolling thread; unpredictable yet directional and with a
definite end. My life is no different. The nienteenth day of June 1984 saw my birth into this
world. I was born to a cheerful family that provided me with the crucial love
and support any child would desire. My family comprises of a dozen members my
parents, five brothers and four sisters. I grew up within my siblings and my
parents spoilt us all with love, presents and outings. I began travelling at an
unusually young age as my parents enjoyed trips out of town as well as outside
the country. We did not need a reason to take a trip; any day was worthy enough
to hop into the car or plane for a journey somewhere. My mother always said
that travelling eased the brain and relaxed the body. As a child, I admired the
diversity of architecture and different technological advancement each place
had to show. The mountain side contrasted the cities as they were all too
quiet, filled with the fresh air. My
siblings and I woke up early to visit the meadows for the morning freshness or
at times to watch the sun rise. My father was a sunset lover; he told us
stories of his past, how he and my mother met and other stories over the
sunset.
The joys
of a complete family and a wondering childhood were cut short when my parent
died in a road accident. I was only seventeen years and survived the accident
by miracle. I remember the event so well, and it feels like only yesterday that
the tragedy occurred. I admit it has been tough getting past the shock of
losing both my parents at an instant; maybe it would have been easier to lose
them one by one. For many years, I lived with the guilt and self-questioning,
wondering why the accident spared me, yet took away everything I held dear in
life. Moving on was not easy but it had to be done anyway, I had the support
and comfort of my siblings that saw me through the tough days. I learnt to
embrace the principles that my parent had instilled in me for the short period
they were in my life. I learnt from my father, the mechanics of playing with
tools around the house. My mother instilled in me discipline and the virtue of
staying focused in whatever I did. These two qualities have shaped my life to
what it is today.
I studied
English language in England and Canada and now I live in USA. I started my first job at the age of
seventeen. I attended high school and worked part time. It was a challenge that I enjoyed and one
that shaped my future. I knew I was
proficient with computers and cell phones from an early age; thus I looked for
jobs in similar fields. During high school, I worked for Dell Computer Company
and Pepsi. I dealt with customer complaints, checking errors, repairs and
advising some of the clients. It was a tough task combining school and work, but
somehow I managed to balance the two. My siblings feared that mixing the two
would affect with each other, but I proved them wrong becoming an excellent
student and a remarkable employee.
It is
noteworthy to note that I spent my life in different parts of the world. My
schooling years and my career life have bits and pieces from the world
continent are cutting from the first world to countries in Africa and Middle
East. I have traveled to Mexico, Thailand, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait,
Bahrain and UAE. Each place I visited had a new lesson for me, from the people,
culture and organizations. Some of the countries are backwards while others are
way advanced. The political and social systems in each of the places I visited
differed immensely and I managed to learn a thing or two from each culture. The
swiftness with which I changed location was both a good and a terrible thing;
having to make new friends and lose old friends too often proved challenging.
How long I would be in one place was not guaranteed, so each time I visited a
place, I knew it was only temporary and it broke my heart. My excellent
communication skills made it easy for me to establish new friendships with
people of different cultures.
Like a
rolling ball of thread, the journey of my life goes on, I have planned to go
back to school. Being flexible and hugely travelled, I can live and study
anywhere in the world. At the age of 27, I appreciate each occurrence in my
life, and anticipate the next day, as each new day brings with it a new opportunity
to grow and better oneself. I live my life to the fullest, doing only things
that make me happy and those that would do my parents proud.
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