“My Non-Fiction Life”, a post inspired by Carol Williams and co hosted by Anna Banana Kruchten CRS, Phoenix Broker in order to share a bit about ourselves on Active Rain.
As Socrates said: “The unexamined life is not worth living”.
I was born in Communist Hungary, three years before the bloody uprising in which the Soviet Army crushed the Hungarian Freedom Fighters. Gratefully, my father held a powerful position at a train factory in the sixth largest city in Hungary. Hence, from an economic and influence status we lived in the top five percent.
We had a car which not many could afford in the late 1950’s Communist Hungary. My father was on a five-year waiting list before the SKODA (made in Czechoslovakia) finally arrived. My mother had a housekeeper, we dined in good restaurants and traveled all over Hungary. We even vacationed in Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia to name just a few places. The remaining 95 percent of the population lived quite a different life. For most children, both parents had to work, and a vacation of any kind in Hungary or elsewhere was a luxury that the majority could not even afford.
Then a life changing event occurred; my father feared for his life and that of his family because he had high-ranking friends who were involved with the Hungarian Revolution. Word on the street was that my father was soon going to be on the inquisition list. One day out of the blue he told me to pick my favorite two books and my two favorite toys. He added that we would be leaving Hungary never to return and that I mustn’t tell anyone! If I were to write a book, I could write an entire chapter about our escape from Communist Hungary and the harrowing way we arrived as ‘tourists’ in Austria. This was in January 1964, just as the Winter Olympics were taking place in Innsbruck.
Living in Austria for almost three and a half years was quite a change from our life in Communist Hungary. Now I learned what it was like to have nothing while watching my parents struggle to achieve economic comfort. We learned a new language and adjusted to people looking down on us as we struggled to speak their language. We also learned freedom of religion and no longer had to stand in line to buy bread or other food. We didn’t even have to bribe doctors for better healthcare.
During our time in Austria, my father sought political asylum to enter the United States. After about three and a half years and ultimately a penned letter to President Lyndon B Johnson, the process was finally put on warp speed and we legally immigrated to the United States. My father’s ultimate dream.
Thus, the learning curve began anew as we tried to master the English language while adapting to much different cultures and habits. I learned resilience as I watched my parents work hard and appreciate being in the United States as they became proud American citizens and homeowners in Waterbury, CT.
“Character is how you react to things - sensibly, without getting carried away by yourself or circumstances” John Wooden
I watched my parents start their lives over multiple times, and I seldom heard them complain. They quietly dealt with each challenge that came their way. This instilled character in me and helped me become open to different people and their way of life. I learned to appreciate the small things, the joys in life, and how to laugh even if things were not going just right. I also felt I needed to give back to this great country and hence became a Naturalized Citizen and an Airborne Ranger Infantry Captain. Fame and fortune can be transient but treating clients and people as I would like to be treated is more important to me than having a great deal of ‘must haves/don’t needs” in my possession.
In closing, there is no book coming from this Beverly Hills Realtor. I’m grateful for conversations over dinner with good friends and good wine to accompany me.
Wishing you a safe and healthy life and I look forward to your comments. If you are looking for a knowledgeable, focused and goal-oriented Realtor in the Beverly Hills area who will help you achieve your Real Estate goals, please reach out to me directly! If you are looking for a pet friendly Beverly Hills Realtor who can handle and sell the most difficult properties that no one else could, please reach out to me directly!! If you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, luxury investment real estate, luxury vacation homes, or luxury beach properties in Southern California, Los Angeles, Century City, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Marina Del Rey, Venice or Malibu, feel free to contact me at 310.486.1002 ( m) homes@endrebarath.com or visit one of my websites at https://www.endrebarath.com I contribute a portion of my commission to local animal rescue organizations. Endre Barath, Jr. Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties DRE#01238708
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