My Aim Is True

My Aim Is True

The topic of this story is about a man by the name of Justo Thomas, who originally settled into the United States from the Dominican Republic. He now lives in New York and has worked in the restaurant business for over twenty years. He worked his way up from living a life in the rural Dominican Republic. He was the middle brother of three in a family of eight children (five sisters). His father worked as a farmer. Justo worked hard from a young age, going to school and then helped around the farm after school concluded. He learned from a young age that hard work was important if you want to get to where you want to go and do in life. By becoming a hard and consciences worker, he became a world-renowned fish butcher chef in Le Bernardine. A restaurant considered the most celebrated best seafood restaurant in America. Chef Justo Thomas can filet 700 pounds of fish in a matter of a few hours. Not only does he do the work, but also he does it with ease and flare.

It is a known fact that when he goes on vacation, it takes at least three other Chefs to do the amount of work he can accomplish seemingly effortless. Anthony Michael Bourdain wrote a book titled Medium Raw and one of the chapters named My Aim Is True. The chapter focuses on Justo Thomas the Dominican Republic American fish butcher Chef who has worked at Le Bernardine for over seven years. Anthony Bourdain was astounded with the ease shown by Justo while watching him perform his work, much like watching a master artist painting a masterpiece. After spending the morning observing Justo Thomas working his magic, Mr. Bourdain insisted that Chef Thomas eat lunch with him at Le Bernardine. The Chef graciously accepted his invitation and they spend a sumptuous lunch together I feel that Anthony Bourdain was impressed with the man who came from such a meager beginning to be elevated to the status of Chef Fish Butcher in a very affluent restaurant. It is my opinion that anyone can achieve greatness, if the drive to do so is encouraged at a young age and the ability to never give up in spite of your circumstances. (4) Quote or paraphrase the lines from the story that explain different aspects of each characters success(es). Provide a minimum of six examples from one story and two from the other.

1. Justo came from the rural Dominican Republic living on a farm where his father grew coffee and coconuts. He focused on going to school and learning all he could to better himself and helped around his family farm afterward. It does not elaborate on why he attended school, but I feel that his parents wanted a better life for him, as most parents do. He worked for his uncle’s pastry shop-six a.m. until ten p.m., every day. At an early age, he proved he was a hard worker that would succeed in his endeavors.

 2. Coming from the Dominican Republic and moving to the United States under questionable legality had to be difficult to get a job. He not only got himself a job, but also quickly became a permanent resident and then became a citizen.

3. While working at Le Bernardin he is making a flat salary considered spectacular by industry standards and he has full medical coverage. Because he has worked at the restaurant so long, he has earned a paid vacation of four weeks’ vacation every year, giving him a chance to visit his family in the DR.

4. Justo is able to butcher seven hundred pounds of fish in 4-5 hours and he does his job with the precision of a surgeon. When he is on vacation, it takes at least three people to do his job. He makes sure that every piece of fish is portioned perfectly. Justo realizes the restaurant has a reputation to uphold and maintains that everything—absolutely everything must be right. Always

A First-Grader-at Age 70

Alferd Williams is fulfilling a promise he made to his mother six decades ago that he would learn to read.” I have lived all my life without knowing words,” he says. “But now my life is changing.” So too is the school that has supported Williams in pursuing his dream and, in return has found a source of inspiration. “He is a powerful force in the building, “says Principal Jennifer Patterson. The help goes both ways. At Edison, where 87 percent of kids get free lunch and one-parent families are the norm, the septuagenarian first grader has become the beloved grandfather figure, school district officials say. “Alferd,” adds Alesia Hamilton, is an anchor. He lifts kids up.” Alferd helped a young boy named Drayke Collin diagnosed with ADHD. The little boy hated to go to school until Alferd helped him see that if a 70-year-old man could learn to read, than Drayke could also learn.

Success defined in the American Heritage Dictionary is, “the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted.” Success to me is establishing personal goals, and following through with them. Whether or not you achieve the result, you sought after or not, you have succeeded just by trying your best. Each of the above stories I read showed success in different ways. However, it does not mean each man did not achieve success. They are both winners because they tried their very best and didn’t give up no matter the circumstances.