We Came to America

We are coming up on the 28th anniversary of our arrival in the US. My mom was 44 years old and my father was 48 when we started over. I say 'we' because I was 14 years and 10 months old. I was part of that move.

My father wrote a book that is being published by Heritage Books soon. The title is "I Came to America". In this book, he recalls his life journey including when we moved to the US. He never mentions what I believe the real reason for our move. It was for me... and a few years later for my sister.

Yes, America is the land of dreams come true. And this journey has been a dream come true for my family, but ultimately, my father could have found a job in France. He was skilled, he had a trade, he was a stripper... OK, before your mind goes off the nasty deep end, it is a person in the printing business that lays out the proofs of what will eventually become a poster, a calendar, a magazine, whatever the print job is.

He was skilled and even had some job offers in Paris. But France did not have many opportunities for a young man. But America... that was a totally different story.

So, this is where you take two people, my mom and dad, that are at the age when most people think about what they are going to do during their retirement and you have them start anew, from scratch, with all their belonging fitting in a box that was 1 cubic yard. And you have them move to New Orleans first, and then to Houston. You have them buy a house at the age of 51 years old (my dad) and take out a 30 year loan. You work two, sometimes three jobs to make ends meet so that their son can go to private school and then go to college. And what you have is the American Dream in its essence, in its foundational basics.

It works!!! I am proof of it. I am happily married and have four beautiful daughters. I own a house on 13 acres, I have a couple of vehicles, an education that allowed me to get a job that pays well, four daughters in private school... just to mention a very few things.

And we can take a look at my sister, who joined us in the US five years after we moved and didn't have much herself and you can see the success that she has now. She and her husband, Larry, actually own a hotel and pizzeria in Melbourne Beach, Fl. Talk about the American Dream...

... and all that because one man, François Borny, decided that it would be best for his family to move to the land of opportunity and made it happen.

Thanks, Dad!