It’s fascinating to learn about cases where we were left out of the competition when we should have won what others achieved.
Wow, this is striking because we entered to win, given our skills, but in the end, the effort didn’t secure the desired prize.
One might say it’s like when you don’t have enough money to fulfill your dreams—in these situations where we live. It’s because there was something we didn’t understand. It’s very likely that everything one says highlights the probable failures in achieving what was expected.
It’s not just comparable to money but also to ability in the fields we choose to excel in gloriously. Suddenly, someone else in a field where competitors were much better prepared, with topics or works where “they didn’t take the risk,” succeeded despite that.
To understand where we stand, we must analyze the what, how, when, etc., and also consider whether the prize justified the level of competitors we faced, since someone else could have won it without the quality of a champion.
But I also wasn’t prepared for a competition where I didn’t engage with others who seemed more capable, yet without the level of development and preparation for managing personnel across various professional levels and nationalities.
Having had the opportunity to be the person in charge of local administrative representation meant that over 30 years passed with the same option. But here, it wasn’t just about the passage of time—it was also about mastering the functions required in such a position, which demands staff who are not only prepared but also continuously updating their knowledge.
Wow, this played a very important role in my professional development and staying current, as I earned my professional degree and later a postgraduate degree from different universities. Specifically, since there was no staff at the required level depending on the local administrative branch, I had to find qualified personnel at the necessary level.
Having earned both degrees, I was undoubtedly prepared not only for the local position but also for international competition. But things didn’t turn out as I thought they would. No, because my role was for local administration. After retiring, I chose to work in administration again—about a year, more or less.
The opportunity arose to work in the United States, thanks to the progress my family had already made.
It was so positive that within days, my wife was already working. Even though I had the preparation and English skills, there was no immediate job available except as a volunteer, which didn’t satisfy me.
I ended up doing something I never thought I would: founding two nonprofits, one focused on Spanish and English and the other on U.S. citizenship exam preparation. Due to funding issues, I stepped away from them. I immediately established Hispánicas in Action, Inc., with the support of Americans, Hispanics, churches, libraries, and even the police department, along with teachers for instruction in Spanish, French, and Italian, not to mention citizenship exam preparation.
This was an organization that, without financial resources, we managed to grow through the efforts of all our collaborating staff.
Today, after COVID, I find myself reborn, teaching English at Holy Family Catholic Church and Spanish at the Morningside Library in Port St. Lucie—obviously, without profit.
On the side, I’ve supported my home after my wife’s passing by taking charge of distribution and the production of mangoes at our residence,
More than 500 units. I’ve been in charge of harvesting,
cleaning, packing, distribution, and delivery
in Port St. Lucie and at our
children’s homes across the U.S.
By: Nelson Merchan-Cely
Image: SyM
