Interview with Farhan Alenezi

[Writer's Name]

[Writer's Institution]

Interview with Farhan Alenezi

Introduction

Unfortunately, society has progressed in such a manner that has caused many individuals to believe success refers to purely monetary achievements. Many firmly disagree with the notion that success is only monetary achievement and believe that a truly successful individual has not only money, but happiness, love and respect. With that being said, I was given the opportunity to interview Farhan Alenezi. There came a time when Mr. Alenezi owned nothing more than an aging German shepherd, a beat up old house filled with pictures of a young woman and on old pickup truck that refused to start. For anyone doubting the levels of success this individual has acquired, they must realize that despite losing the love of his life at a very young age, despite having lost his business to market giants, he did not lose hope. He fought back. Today he owns one of the largest trucking businesses on the west coast and is an avid contributor to numerous charities. Despite being diagnosed with cancer, he still shows up for work every. He is the first to arrive, and the last to leave.

Discussion

My interview started off with a little background information on the man. I asked about his family, where he grew up and how he did at school. I was shocked to learn that not only was Mr. Alenezi an orphan, but he was homeless till the age of 23. In his own words, Alenezi, “lived in the moment.” It was not until the man was an adult was he sure that he would live to see the sun rise the next day. The earliest memory Alenezi had were of wandering the streets smelling no different from the rotten fish he found spread across the docks. Handouts were his only meals till the age of approximately 10. It wasn't until then that an honest man took pity on the young boy and decided to give him a job. Alenezi's first job was cleaning up a cafeteria for truck drivers. Every morning before the truckers arrived, he scrubbed the floors, scrubbed the tables, cleaned the windows and did the dishes. After every meal, Alenezi went into the backroom and did the dishes again, in preparation for the next meal and the next group of hungry truckers. Every night after dinner, he helped the owner close up the shop, wandered into the kitchen and fell asleep in the makeshift bedroom, originally a closet, in the owner's office.

For his back breaking work schedule, Alenezi earned a meager 5 dollars a week. Speaking in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone, Alenezi spoke of the five dollars as if he were earning millions. Clearly, the man did not shy away from hard work. After every few sentences, Alenezi paused, looked at the glimmering ruby stone in his ring, smiled and continued his story. After a while, his fascination with the ring got the better of me and I asked if there was something special about it. ...