CHAPTER 1
THE AMERICAN DREAM
Like all the things in life, everything begins with a dream. I was 10 years old when I got the opportunity for the first time to get hold of a magazine from the United States called LIFE. The magazine was 10 years old, but it did not matter. One of my neighbors managed to get the magazine from a doctor who, for a few years, lived and worked in Libya. Upon his return to Romania, he managed to hide the magazine and smuggled it into our country.
During the communist regime, all media: press, radio, television, books, news, magazines, and information of any kind were monitored and under strict control by security police called Securitate Romana. They were a replica of the KGB; some of the members trained in the USSR. If they get hold of information that somehow you were involved in any disagreement of government policy or rules, your only option would be to leave the country, if it's not too late, because you would be arrested and convicted.
To see how severe the regime was and how they operated, search Google or Wikipedia for events that happened in the city of Timisoara where I lived prior to the revolution of December 1989. Around 20 to 30 people were executed by the security police force a week before the revolution [initially] started. Seven later when the revolution erupted in Bucharest the capital city and around the country. The city of Timisoara was less than 100 km from the border with Yugoslavia and Hungary and was considered a nest for people who were anti-government ideologist. Anything you say against the communist regime or against President Ceausescu, who was in power for the past 40 years, would very much lead to a death sentence.
From the moment I saw the magazine, a seed was planted in my imagination. It became a burning desire to execute a plan of escape, and to reach a destination. ... Unknown.
How can a little boy born in the hills of Transylvania someday arrive in San Francisco?
This was an absolute dream, and the LIFE magazine was the seed which fueled the desire to implement a plan - to be executed and to succeed.
There was a local story in a town, which very few were willing to talk about. I was fascinated and inspired; so much that I manage to convince my neighbor to tell it at least two times. It was the story of a local person who left the town and went to America for several years in early 1850. He accumulated a significant amount of wealth, and upon his return to the town he had left, he bought a bell for the local church. The bell was transported by ship from the United States then by train to the closest city. 60 miles away from the station, it was transported by eight pairs of bulls to the little town.
At the time the church in town was a small church and very old. When he arrived with the bell, they discovered it was too big for the actual church structure to support the bell. The town council came together and decided to build a new church around the bell.
The seed of America was planted; all it needed was water to grow and a matter of time - it will happen. Another eight years would pass before the dream would reach implementation
One of the things which were not possible to keep secret was the formation of America and what made people from all over the world go there. This story was impossible to remain a secret. I was fascinated by the story of how America was discovered and how the people were calling the place the new world and the land of freedom. I knew from that moment there was no way I would ever stop trying to get there. People from around the world are inspired by this freedom principle. Their attempt to change their life to achieve it will become imminent.
This information existed among the people, except for the communist regime who was trying to denigrate the principles of Capitalism and how bad it is for society; how Capitalism is so unjust and unfair against its own people. In school propaganda, classes were anti-America. If America is so bad and so unjust then why are millions of people dreaming of going there? I use to ask my teacher this question, which was never answered.
America, the dreamland that changed the history of the world. The land millions of peoples believed in. People inspired by the principle of freedom, liberty, and justice and a vision of prosperity from generations to generation. America, the torch with the burning fire of opportunities, economic success, financial achievements, freedom of speech, freedom of rights, equality, justice for every man and women, and the opportunity for everyone who may want to succeed. This is the way I saw America for the very first time, in her own glory, and this is where it all begins.
The same dream exists today and will continue to be so long as we the people continue to preserve, respect and protect the foundation and fundamentals of this great country - the Constitution on which it is built.
The foundation for this great ideology, "we the people" the most creative ever created, in our existence, on this planet. Removing power from a king, queen, or president; freeing the people from socialism, communism, capitalism, or any other form of controlled governing.
Looking back to my early days, I knew nothing about America, but I was willing to learn, ready to find everything and to explore every aspect of this great country.
I was reading books about the Lewis and Clark expedition, railroad developments, cities like nowhere in the whole entire world. I studied the states and capitals, sang songs with no names about America when riding a horse on Transylvanian hills. This is insane ... Right? Yes, you are right, I was insane. America was everything I was dreaming of.
The seed was planted, and the dream was growing on a daily basis. I could see things above and beyond my present situation. I believed what I would be capable of achieving.
Some of you will say well yes, all kids have dreams at that age, and you are right. All have dreamed of achieving things in their life, however, my dream was unique, my dream required risking my life for freedom and a future, the room for error was zero. It would have to be 100% correct if I even attempted to achieve this goal.
From dream to reality, there is a bridge which must be connected, and in my case, the bridge between dream and reality will be placing my life on the line. I questioned my desire many times. While in Romania, there was a very high chance I might lose my life trying to achieve my dream; the result of that thinking was "escape."
Years later, when I was in Japan (hired as a manager for Planetechs Operation, a Boeing 787 operation project) the Boeing leader for the Japan site, Tim Thelon, after hearing my story of escape said: "Since you have risked your life once to achieve a goal, nothing will be impossible for you to achieve. You have already made the ultimate sacrifice placing your life on the verge of existence for a cause."
Why do the greatest results come for those willing to give it all to achieve the glory?
We like the things that are easy, minimum sacrifice, minimum risk, minimum effort, always in our comfort zone; we call that a normal life. Why are some of us willing to make sacrifices and take risks so high that our own life will become questionable?
In 1988, in Romania, an escape attempt was insanity. The failure rate was 95%. Why in the world would anyone even consider to do it? I was, am and will always be a dreamer. When my dreams stop, my...
