My grandfather was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and he had no formal education. even with his lack of education he went on to own a significant amount of land in the Dominican Republic and he went on to have 10 children, he was touted as a great man yet I only remember him as a sometimes spry other-times inactive old man. In his old age he would come to live in my fathers house and share a room with me. He was pretty quiet most of the time because he didn’t know many words and couldn’t speak English but he would always make jokes about my father and my father about him, he would sometimes give me motivation whenever I came from school about how “I had to be better than my father and keep studying” he didn’t know much words so he emphasized reading told me do what he never got to do, which was get an education and learn how to read and write. he would tell me how people didn’t take him seriously because he couldn’t speak as well as the next guy. this spoke to me especially when he said don’t let anyone make you feel bad about the way you speak but also don’t give them reason to, learn all words you can and use them. sadly he died of cancer when I was in middle school although he died his wishes and advice ring fresh in my mind he helped create the person I am today without him who’s to say i would have gotten to college.
