By Michael Armijo

Years ago, I read a Question & Answer column in a local newspaper about Bob Pacheco, and it really moved me.

I picked up the phone that day, and called his office in Sacramento (when he was our local Assemblyman), and asked him about his life. He was very open and candid, and told me the truth about his life in an effort to help me with my own. I thought my life was tough and that I had a rough time. I thought I overcame a lot.

Bob spoke of his father who was a farm worker and didn’t speak any English. He mentioned how his mother was crippled and only had a 2^nd Grade education. He recalled helping his father in the fields, and how poor his family was – and yet he managed to graduate from college and finish law school.

I’ve been told to stay away from politics, stay away from mentioning political candidates or endorsing people. But I’m not speaking about Bob the politician; I’m speaking about Bob the human being.

I believe the toughest dreams in life are the ones that require forging new paths.  Bob mentioned that when he was in junior college, he took an entrance exam and the counselor asked him what he wanted to do. He said he wanted to be an attorney. She suggested he should be a mechanic.

When I was 16, I was working for Sav-On. My father always spoke of security in income, security in employment, and hoped that I would someday become manager of Sav-On.

Sometimes we need to go against the grain, against the odds, against what others call “the norm”. If Bob and I had listened to others, I would be managing Sav-On and he would be fixing my car.

But I didn’t want to be a manager; I wanted to own the place. I wanted to have enough financial comfort that I could follow my dreams of being a writer, touching lives and helping people. Bob wanted to become a lawyer. He wanted to be in a position where he could help people in serious need; inspiring disadvantaged children who do not believe they have the skills to be accomplished in life.

Although it’s tough disregarding all that we’re told and going with our hearts, I believe that sometimes it’s necessary. I believe that we should always listen to others advice but never abandon our dreams.

When I was in 7^th Grade, I realized I wanted to become a writer and now, years later, I make my living as a writer. At 19, Bob Pacheco realized he wanted to be an attorney, and years later, he finished law school and passed the bar exam.

I look at myself now and I like who I’ve become. Friends of mine have taken other routes that brought them picket fences and fancy cars at a young age, while I went against the odds and followed my dreams.

I look at Bob and I see someone who is always trying to help, who always offers a kind word and a warm heart; a man who also has ignored the easy route and chose to follow the tough road of a dreamer.

Many people say that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, and many times it is. That can be very distracting to the dreamers in life. So if the greener grass is distracting and you truly want to follow your heart, then start watering your own yard, and stop looking at the other side of the fence.