Hello, everyone, this is Oldschoolmatt, it has been a while since I have written blogs due to the fact that we have changed the blogs to our podcast that is found on Youtube.
I wanted to jump on here and tell a slight background to my grandfather's story. We will be doing a video about this soon and drawing out an animation of his life explaining how he lived with all the values that we at Water Buffalo Training Method respect.
Jorge E. Vera was born in Cusco, Peru he was the son of Benjamin Vera y Maria Escalante Vera. Jorge was born into a family that grew up supporting four of his other siblings. So at a young Jorge did what most of us did not have to do. He worked... and worked... and worked! Jorge was always smart with the way he made his money. He would save it, and help his family as he could. Jorge did not care what type of jobs he was doing, he was always working very hard. No "privilege" here, hard work, dedication, and a will to bring himself out of poverty. Jorge had some severe permanent injuries to his body when he used to work in the mines. As we can see that never stopped him nor would it have stopped him at any other moment. Jorge is what we like to call a grinder.
As Jorge got older he started to make his way around South America studying in places like Argentina. Jorge became an economist and landed in Ica Peru where he began multiple start-up endeavors. While also in Ica Jorge met the love of his life, Sonia Vera Padilla. When the two met they began to work on a relationship that lasted over 50 years and will last FOREVER.
In addition to this Jorge started to make himself a public figure in Ica. He and his brother, Hilberto Vera, began working with one another on various projects being involved in things from business development to serving their church. They took over the small area of Ica. They worked very hard to make sure their families were taken care of, but also that others were taken care of as well.
Jorge was also a man of faith, Jorge always believed in God and was actively involved in his church and in the celebration of Señior de Los Milagros in Peru. He always lived by the Catholic faith, respecting God but also respecting those around him. Jorge made sure to preach his faith by organizing volunteer efforts in Ica and helping people on a personal scale in Ica.
Jorge was the head of JCI (Junior Chamber International), an organization that helped communities develop volunteer efforts for their specific needs. Jorge was a mentor to thousands of young Peruvians, as he inspired many to work hard and give back!
Fast forward to the 1970's, Jorge decided to practice one of the greatest gifts in life, he had three girls. Jorge then knew his life must have had to have a higher purpose, more value than just working hard and building his business. Jorge decided to continue his work in Peru, but had eyes for more, for a better life.
Jorge had many different businesses all over Peru, his businesses involved veterinary practices in which he would classify and supply certain products across the region. He also was involved in distributing various products in Peru for certain stores and other small businesses in the area. At one point his daughter said, "He was like a celebrity". Jorge was living the life...
Until the mid 1980's hit. Jorge decided to make him an investment in Oyster farming that went south... He lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and basically had two choices. Give his daughters "less" of a life in Peru and having to continue working to build back his wealth. OR risk it all and make the journey to a land unknown.
Jorge took the latter, Jorge decided that at the age of 51 years old. An age where many retire... that he was going to start his life over. Not for him, but for his family, and this family extended FAR beyond his daughters. This step that he took will open up a future for the Vera name for hundreds of years to come...
When Jorge moved here at the age of 51 he had nothing, literally nothing. His move here was not easy either. His daughters having complications getting visas and immigration rights. He has to pay thousands of dollars to be able to get them here and safe. All said and done it was not easy. Since Jorge did not speak English and has a history of Alzheimer's Disease learning the English language at his age was difficult for him. So Jorge had to do hard labor, and I mean hard labor. Jorge found himself eventually owning his own ice cream truck where he could mix some of his business skills with hard labor.
From being an economist and businessman to have to sell ice cream Jorge never had any embarrassment for this. He did was he knew was correct. He supported his children and his wife. He would sometimes work every single day of the week in his ice cream truck barely making enough to cover his basis. Then he would do other maintenance jobs to help cover anything more than he didn't make selling ice cream. It was no walk in the park either, the area in which he lived was not very "nice" to say the least and he would frequently get robbed of his hard-earned cash. But knowing that he was a man of God and has been blessed with so much more, he never sought revenge.
When Jorge's children eventually became independent of themselves Jorge decided to sell his ice cream truck and find another job. As much as I am sure Jorge wanted to retire, he couldn't and didn't want to live his wife hanging. He always looked out for her too, and instead of having her work more at the school, she was working at he decided to clean airplanes at the age of 63 years old.
Jorge worked here for many years, and when doing so he also decided to get more involved in his local church as well. Here Jorge was one of the original founders of Señior de Los Milagros in South Florida. Here he was in charge of getting the South Florida Hispanic community together to worship God but also bring upon projects of community service. Jorge never let his life lack in any areas, he always checked his boxes.
Jorge did it all. He did it all for his family. He swallowed his pride in many ways and when life knocked him down, he never let it keep him down. Jorge always did what he could with what he was given to help others, and help his family.
Something I think we should all take from Jorge are these five things.
Work Ethic
Jorge always worked very hard. He worked day in and day out to keep his family content.
Values
Jorge was always a man of good faith, a man who valued respect, and responsibility to give back to his community.
Family
Jorge was always a man who cared for his family. He always found ways to give back to his family, and that does not necessarily mean blood. It means the people he considered his "family" those who deserved his love and "gifts"
Accountability
Jorge was accountable for his actions. He always made sure he did everything in his life he believed in, he was always responsible and never lazy.
Legacy
He lived his life beyond himself. He lived it for the legacy of his name and was selfless in all of his actions.
This is just a snip bit of Jorge E. Vera's very interesting and amazing life. He was a pioneer, an entrepreneur, and the goal of what ALL man should strive to be. We are proud to continue his legacy in dissecting his values and his philosophies of life and carrying his values in our brand.