By Younas Chaudhary
As a child in the 1960’s, my friends and I would run behind a Morris Minor car traveling on the dirt roads of my village. When we were able to touch the slow-moving car and make a mark on it, it felt like a big accomplishment.
As I write this blog, I can remember the pungent smell of gasoline and the euphoria of running behind that old Morris car as a child. That British icon, the Morris car, would fail a pollution test badly today. The family car of that era spewed smoke and made so much noise as if an alien came to Earth.
Bicycles were the most popular form of transportation for us, and they were a luxury those days. As I moved to Farid Town, Sahiwal, a city five miles from my childhood village, I saw a passenger bus for the first time in my life. Every day, I would sit by the window waiting for it with a fascinating look. When I saw it, I would chase this bus.
I sat in a car for the first time in my life when I was 18 years old. When I arrived in Edmonton, Canada, in the 1970’s, one of the first things I did was buying and selling used cars to make extra money. I knew the basics of how to tune up a car and make minor repairs. I would purchase one, get it fixed, clean it up, and sell it at a higher price.
Later, I became a part-time cab driver and cars became a source of my livelihood. Often at that young age, I would envy the luxurious cars on the streets hoping that one day I would be able to afford one. My hard work paid off and a few decades later, I could afford to buy new luxury cars.
When I entered the oil and gas business, I realized that cars were good investments and I have never lost money on them. In fact, high end cars served me well in many ways. A well-designed car is a joy to drive with their evolving technology, precision, and the pleasure of being in control.
In the early 1980’s, I purchased my first new Mercedes. I purchased a Maybach when it was reintroduced in the early 2000’s. My journey began by simply feeling good just to touch a car, to buying and selling used cars, into owning top of the line cars and SUV’s such as the Cullinan, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, and others. I am simply blessed.
I started my journey from a small village in Pakistan, where there were no cars at all, to the West with just $30 in my pocket. My message to others especially to the aspiring immigrants is simple. You can acquire whatever you desire and be what you want to be in the West, provided you are persistent, hard-working, and dedicated. Blessings.
Disclaimer
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not represent the opinions of any entity with which I have been, am now, or will be affiliated. Further, I make no warranty regarding the accuracy or effectiveness of my recommendations, and readers are advised to consult other advisors as well as their own judgments in making business decisions.
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