Of the many people I have known in my thirteen short years, very few have truly changed my life, and of those few only one has changed the way I see the world exponentially. This man has taught me to take both the good and bad in stride and to accept anything but a bad attitude. He has dealt with hardships throughout his life and still has the ability to laugh about it, this man is my grandfather, or as I know him, Mickey.
He was born Matthew in 1949 at a hospital in Dearborn, Michigan. He was the son of a housewife and a milkman, but that did not stop him from having great aspirations, by thirteen he had his first job at the local grocer and in the winter shoveled snow, by the age of sixteen had already figured out what he wanted to do in life. He was going to take part in the on the job program the United States Road Commission was using at that time. However at the last moment he decided upon something else, business management. After nine months of college during the day and nights as a janitor, he eventually dropped out. The year was 1965 and the U.S. government was taking any able-bodied men and enlisting them to fight in the escalating Vietnam war. My grandfather was one of those men. He was barely through basic training when a knee injury nearly crippled his legs for life. That did not stop him from providing for his wife and young child as he did whatever it took to feed them.
He worked at the post office, a boat factory and even taking down antique barns, he got his realtor’s license and began to buy and sell houses as well as renting them. During the first automotive industry collapse in late 70s and early 80s, he moved to California to work with heavy equipment and provide for his 3 children, one of which was my mom, he still does this today. Sadly in 2002 his wife, my grandmother died of cancer, but through all of it he kept a good attitude and still does.
He is my hero because of all of these things, but also because he is kind and smart and taught me to never give up and never back down. He taught me to stand up for what I believe in no matter the cost. But most of all he taught me that nothing is worth more than hard work, determination and a good attitude.
In conclusion he survived through many hardships and problems in his life but never gave up. He worked his entire life and still does today, not just for himself but for his family, and those he loves. He still has a great sense of humor and never has anything critical to say, and as he once taught me, he has the most valuable thing on earth… a good attitude.