Start Where You Are With What You Have, Do What You Can

Start Where You Are With What You Have is a story and a life lesson; it is a real story and not fiction. It shows that it is possible to build a dream with what we have. We only need to see the opportunities and take action to transform our dreams into reality. Even starting with small possible steps, we can build a life we have imagined.

In my last story, I told you about an older man giving me a beautiful gift.

He expected that I would be back in Malta.

I did not think that time to come back, but at home, things were changing in my life, and I needed to get better at speaking English. I have been in night school but have not had much opportunity to talk. Our son and friends wanted to emigrate to Canada, and I had to travel in the future.

I started to think about how to learn better, and I remembered that in Malta, there were schools for this. I felt safe over there; the people were friendly, and the weather was right.

Sliema

The School for English in Sliema

I found through the travel agency a place there with a host family, near the school in Sliema.

The host family was a lovely young couple with two kids; she was a teacher at the school I wanted to go and he was an engineer working for a shipping company. They lived in a beautiful old Maltese house up the hill, and from the roof, we could see Valetta, the capital.

Valetta

Right, the first evening they gave me the instruction: if you would like to learn a lot, don’t tell anybody of the students that you are German. They will start to speak with you in German, but better if you try only to talk in English. No problem, I said: I am Iranian, living in Germany on the way to Canada; that is what I told everybody in school, not even a lie.

Soon, we got friends and had a good schedule to get breakfast, dinner, and dishes done, and after dinner, we had time to talk. In the mornings, I had an excellent exercise with walking fast down to the school. It was beside the beach and, in the afternoon, up the hill again. I started to look around and talk to people.

How To Start With What You Have

After a week, I thought it was time to visit my old friend. I took the bus and went to the Gozo ferry station.

It was warm weather and more tourists than the first time and a lot of boats in the marina.

Meeting my old friend again

My old friend was there, and he talked like he was expecting me. Where are you, he said, in a Hotel? I told him about the school and that I wanted to go to Canada.

He said I have been in Canada; a lot of people from here go to America to work. But I came back after a few months; I would have to work there in a factory, and I missed my place here, and I had an Idea.

When I did come back, two old fishermen had retired, and they had beautiful old wooden boats. I did buy them for cheap and we started to clean and fix and paint them together with my two sons. Now we are in business. Come with me, and I show you; he said proudly.

In the marina, he showed me two wooden fisher boats nicely painted and introduced me to his sons. Each one had a boat with two other young men helping, bringing tourists to Comino and the Blue Lagoon and back.

A wonderful time in Malta

He took divers and fishers out to the sea and promised to take me with him one time; he did, and it was incredible.

I had a great time there. Whenever I had time, I went to the station and, with one of the sons, to Comino. Then climbed the hill and did not take the path because of exercise. Sitting up there and looking down to the lagoon and watching the boats coming and going. There is an old building with only one family living up there. When I asked, they told me that, in the past, it was a place where people with leprosy have been living.

After they finished work, David’s sons went home to Gozo. Sometimes, I went with them and came back with the ferry. They never expected me to pay for all this because it was the Madonna who did bring me back. 🙂 How special am I ? 🙂

What a great time, a lot of fun and friendly people. 

Now, this was another life lesson from an old friend. Start where you are with what you have. If you work hard and are committed, you can make a great living.

The story is in short form; I could make it double as long 🙂 a lot more to tell.

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