Thoughts on Born on Third Base by Chuck Collins
My initial reaction when Professor Hansen introduced the book was to merely question Chuck's reasoning and also his sanity. After reading the introduction, I could see why he did it and I admire him for doing so. As he has mentioned in his book, Chuck is one of the few - if not the only person - who has ever given away their fortune. I wonder if - had I been in his shoes - I could have done the same thing. It would be so nice to never have to worry about expenses.
I didn't think too much about it at first, but the longer I was at SC, the more I saw how disadvantaged I was. First, there were barely any other Hispanics around. Secondly, we struggled to pay for tuition - I barely received any help because they thought my dad made too much which isn't the case. Not to mention paying for other things like books and materials, most I paid for on my own with money I got from working in the Leventhal offices. Lastly was the luxuries everyone else had. When vacations came around, my friends always had plans to go to exotic places while I would stay here and work because I couldn't afford to travel. Honestly, I'm sometimes bitter about it because it sucks not being able to do everything they can but at the same time, I can't be too bitter either. My dad always told me to be grateful for what I have because there are people out there with way less than us.
In more than one place, Chuck recounted stories people had told them about how they had gotten to where they were. Most of them would credit only themselves and say it was their hard work that got them where they are. Like Chuck, I felt sad that there were people out there that knew how hard it was to struggle and yet they didn't want to give back much less give credit to anything or anyone that helped them along the way. It's really sad that money can have some much power over people. Having money can cause people to forget who they are and where they came from. I hope I never forget.
I wasn't able to finish reading the book, but I got about halfway. Chuck's book has been very inspiring. It has also challenged me to see things differently. Although I can't fully relate to him, I can relate to some parts and I see that for anyone reading there is something they can learn. For me, its a bit of reinforcement on the "being grateful for what you have" concept.
I didn't think too much about it at first, but the longer I was at SC, the more I saw how disadvantaged I was. First, there were barely any other Hispanics around. Secondly, we struggled to pay for tuition - I barely received any help because they thought my dad made too much which isn't the case. Not to mention paying for other things like books and materials, most I paid for on my own with money I got from working in the Leventhal offices. Lastly was the luxuries everyone else had. When vacations came around, my friends always had plans to go to exotic places while I would stay here and work because I couldn't afford to travel. Honestly, I'm sometimes bitter about it because it sucks not being able to do everything they can but at the same time, I can't be too bitter either. My dad always told me to be grateful for what I have because there are people out there with way less than us.
In more than one place, Chuck recounted stories people had told them about how they had gotten to where they were. Most of them would credit only themselves and say it was their hard work that got them where they are. Like Chuck, I felt sad that there were people out there that knew how hard it was to struggle and yet they didn't want to give back much less give credit to anything or anyone that helped them along the way. It's really sad that money can have some much power over people. Having money can cause people to forget who they are and where they came from. I hope I never forget.
I wasn't able to finish reading the book, but I got about halfway. Chuck's book has been very inspiring. It has also challenged me to see things differently. Although I can't fully relate to him, I can relate to some parts and I see that for anyone reading there is something they can learn. For me, its a bit of reinforcement on the "being grateful for what you have" concept.
Comments
Post a Comment