Pursuit of Happyness

I love rags-to-riches movies! Been watching this movie thrice and am so fascinated by it that i took a step further to google Chris Gardner... what I read in Wiki was even shocking!


Source:

Chris Gardner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Chris did not have any positive male role models, since his absent father, Thomas Turner, was living in Louisiana and his stepfather, Freddie Triplett, was a violent man who physically abused him and his mother regularly. Despite her unhappy marriage, Gardner's mother, Bettye Jean Triplett, was a source of inspiration and strength. She encouraged Gardner to believe in himself and sowed the seeds of self-reliance in him. Gardner quotes her as saying, "You can only depend on yourself. The cavalry ain't coming." Gardner was Bettye Jean's second child. He had three sisters: Ophelia (the eldest half-sister from a previous union), Sharon, and Kim (his younger half-sisters from Bettye Jean's marriage to Freddie Triplett).

Freddie Triplett's violent outbursts often left Bettye Jean beaten and nearly fatally injured. Those rages left Gardner and his three sisters constantly afraid. Bettye Jean was imprisoned when Triplett reported her to the authorities for working while collecting welfare. As a result, her children were raised in foster care during her incarceration. They were put into foster homes once again when Gardner's mother re-entered incarceration for attempting to burn down the house with Triplett inside. From those experiences, Gardner determined that alcoholism, domestic abuse, child abuse, illiteracy, fear, and powerlessness were all things he wanted to avoid in the future.

Despite his horrible childhood, he turned out to be just fine, but hungrier and thirstier for success. Now this is what I call a survivor.

I always believe perseverance pays. Leave a legacy behind a friend of mine told me, indeed I will. We only have this one life, one chance so make it worth!

P/S: Madeline YOU BETTER GET BACK TO YOUR BOOK! YOU BETTER SCORE MORE THAN 8AS in the SPM!!