BY ME
English 101 T-2
September 30, 2014
The Dreamer
Today, many have not
yet learned how to live their life the way they initially plan on living it. We
allow ourselves to settle for whatever is handed to us and forget to strive for
what we've always wanted. Rather than chase after our dreams, we continue to
play out our life the easiest way possible; without taking monumental risks. I
recently met someone who does the opposite of this. When I first met Vincent
Avendano, I couldn't quite get a taste of his full potential. I was limited to
what I saw on the surface and I was unable to figure out what he was really
about. A few days ago, I had the privilege of interviewing him over the phone.
We talked about his love for nature and life, the places he dreams of seeing,
and his decision of dedicating his time to Buddhism. If I hadn't given him the
time of day, I wouldn't have found how influential, amiable, and extraordinary
he truly is.
Avendano was given
the opportunity to enjoy wildlife every day, unlike many people. He grew up in
Rockville, Maryland, where the trees are taller than buildings. Every chance he had, Vince would take long
walks through the dense forests of Maryland. Slowly, he began to realize nature
and enjoying every aspect the earth supplied him with was far more important
than acquiring a large paycheck to pay for a needlessly huge home he would end
up abandoning when spending most of his day at a job he abhors to afford a home
of that size in the first place.
"The trees gave me a new perspective on life and even myself. I felt more of an observer or spectator of life when I'd walk through those tranquil woods. There was no greater escape from the hectic noise the city and towns people made than visiting the forests. The sound of a tree branch falling or being cracked after being stepped on gave me a feeling of nostalgia, along with nirvana and peace. Nothing made me feel more harmonious with myself than wandering through the forests alone.” (Avendano)
Although his place of
birth was right out of a story book, he longed for new friendships, new
adventures and atmosphere. The friends he had made in Maryland meant a lot to
him, but he was in dire need of meeting new faces and making new memories. The
true catalyst of Vincent's traveling desires were the few remnants of his
childhood, visiting the West Coast when he was only twelve years old. He also
remembers the stories his stepfather would recall about the places he would
visit in California, the weather, food, and honest people. He and his older
brothers were later promised by their step-dad that one day, they'd end up
living there.
One
night, Avendano came home to find an abundance of sweat on the faces of his
family members, along with piles of book bags filled with clothes. It turned
out that, without his knowledge, Avendano's family had decided to move away
from Maryland to make that trip to California. They hopped on a 3,000 dollar
trailer and made their trip to the West the next morning. He didn't mind it,
Avendano was all in for leaving his neighbors, friends and Maryland home. He couldn't wait to relive memories and make
his dreams of traveling come true. It was on July 1st when he and his family
landed in the West Coast. With no place to stay, they camped out in their
trailer, waiting to find for an affordable home to live in. In just two weeks,
Vincent’s stepfather was able to find a job to help pay for a beautiful home
his grandmother had found through Craigslist. Today, Vincent is enjoying his
time in Ventura, California, with his family and his cat, Mitzi. He plans on
visiting Portland, Seattle, and Chicago in the following year.
At the age of seven,
Vince came across a Tibetan monk, in a traditional orange robe, sitting humbly
under a tree in the park. He introduced himself to the monk and in return, was
taught very valuable life lessons that he still recites today. He learned a few
skills and tricks on how to live a happier and more positive lifestyle. Because
of this obscure Buddhist man, Avendano realized at a young age that all he
wanted to do was help as many people as he could, no matter what their
situation was. Avendano wanted to be there for the people he felt needed love
and this is what he yearns for still.
Like many of us, Vince gets his occasional bouts of negativity and feels
trapped in dark thoughts.
"We tend to get tangled up in all our struggles and
problems and forget about the ones who care about us most. We forget how these
people we care about are there for us when we feel we’re in a bottomless pit.
In most cases, we need the helping hand of others to pick us back up because
doing it alone sometimes seems insurmountable." (Avendano)
But no matter how down-in-the-dumps Vincent’s feeling, he
never fails to help those he loves most before remembering to help himself.
"When I
just started community college, all my friends went away... Days seemed to go
by... Although I had my best friend with me still, he felt the same way and
didn’t want to do anything special. I could say accept just having less
company, but that is easier said than done. I learned to keep myself busy, I
started refining what I was already good at...
I remember that feeling of just going through life rather than living
it. I try to find that place now that, at any moment, reminds me I'm alive. Find
your daily ambitions is my advice. Good things start happening after doing
so... Even though I’m doing absolutely nothing, it’s still something. I’m
living." (Avendano)
Avendano, Vincent. Personal interview. 25 Sept. 2014.
my essay i turned in for my english class last year. i got an A thank you vincent, my boy