People must be envisioning Utopia when they think of the United States of America. Is this true? To some extent yes, but not quite. I worked and lived there for 33 years and I can honestly say that things are not as great as they sound, the mass media could prove it and my experiences can attest to it. Why, I spent the best years of my life in the United States! With all the conveniences in modern day living right at your finger tips, I thought of staying there for the rest of my life!

The first few months were tough, job hunting was not easy because it was recession when I got there, (wrong timing) and worse, companies preferred people with local experience for hiring. However, with my college degree and my fluent English, I managed to pass the written and practical exams in a big oil company in downtown Chicago. At the encouragement of a friend, I had to turn down the first job offer because I was hoping to start with a bang! I waited and waited and finally accepted a second job offer in a small drug company. By the time I was working, I got a call for a final interview but I decided to reject it because I had already signed a one-year lease and I had made a commitment with my first Boss, Gary Ohlson and we were getting along well despite the hard work and low pay that I was receiving.

A year later, I learned that that company was closing down and that top Management people wanted to move to their main plant in Denver, Colorado. I was one of the few who was offered a transfer with a very enticing pay but I found another job in a chemical company which was more along my line hence, I did not accept the offer from its owner. From then on, things just developed beyond belief that I learned to love my next jobs and life in the U.S.A. On weekends, I worked as a volunteer in a rehabilitation center and taught chemistry and modern math then, got transferred to alcoholics after my three-month commitment and finally to their mental ward where I did not last 24 hours! Why, on the first day, I felt like crazy marching around the room with a mental case and worse, in the afternoon, an old lady did not want to release me because she yelled, "he’s my son!" Was it scary..! So, I decided to give up volunteer work in the hospital and instead, tried the nursing home close to our condo in Hinsdale. I enjoyed working with the old folks, talking to them, entertaining them and even bringing cookies and candies (make sure that everybody gets a share or there would be a big problem!) and just listening to their sad experiences in life. That was the time when I was there on Mother’s Day and a lady was crying so hard because her only daughter did not even bother to visit or call her up and on Father’s Day, an old man was grumbling and crying his heart out in exasperation because none of his 3 children visited him or at least, give him a call! That was very sad and right then, I immediately decided that I would just come home and retire here in my old age and so I did.

The United States is a wonderful place to live when one is still young, he can enjoy so many things (including sex, drugs and alcohol!) and life is good. However, when one gets old, it’s time to come home and enjoy life here to the fullest. Believe me, there really is no place like home!*