A Man Who Made Saba The Better Man

Flash back to my early life on a student day, I still had a version 1 of disability, an infectious disease of Polio that caused muscle weakness on one of my legs. Though I was still be able to walk, unfirmly. My family back then was dirt poor. My super, solo mom raised her 4 children by herself in a rural area with extreme Third-World conditions of ‘70s Thailand. An old Thai movie “Kru-Ban-Norg” (A Rural Teacher) reflects almost perfectly how my life was back then.

When I finished school I looked for jobs to pay for my higher education. From rural farm, I decided to leave from my village and go live with my aunt in the main city. I got the first job as a newspaper boy. I did it for years, paying for my own tuition. I academically pursued on what I liked and was passionate. Do you know what it was? I learned on typing and accounting that served as a gateway to programmer later. I know how to code a basic computer language since 18 years old!

Amidst my newspaper boy, a chance drew me to meet with a clergyman who told me about an incoming opportunity that would change my life forever. With hard-work preparation to compete with other candidates, I successfully ended up studying Computer curriculum at “Pattaya Redemptorist Center for People with Disabilities.”

It was time that I met with a fatty, old western guy who shaped me a fundamental mindset with this sentence “I cannot change the world. I just want to help PWDs to stand up by themselves and have a better life.”

He’s long gone now. But what happened 30 years after that were “Ten thousands of disabled people” who were able to independently lead their lives, made a good and proud living, supported their own family and society, and who helped build this country. I, Saba, was one of them, along with countless people including the elderly and less-fortunate kids. This probably wouldn’t be possible without him.

At present, although I have more disability as I called version 2 lol, nothing to excuse. I still work hard, give back to the society, and be a decent man.

A young Saba boy grew up to be a ‘full, completed me’ this day thanks to him. It’s largely because of this man. The ‘full and completed’ in my mind means everyone has their own background. You must be grateful to someone who raised you. When you get, you must give back. I believe this is what makes a person full and completed.

On 16 August every year I will post about him like this to recall his invaluable goodness.