Mohammad Ashraf Faridi se fueen los años 80 de Pakistána la Ciudad de Nueva York.Cuando su familia llegócasi una década después,él se ganaba la vidacomo taxista.En StoryCorps, su hijomayor Muhammadhabló con su padre sobrelas lecciones de vidaque aprendió desde elasiento del pasajero.Muhammad Faridi (MF): You used to go to work Muhammad Faridi (MF):Usted salía al trabajo and come back home around 2am.

y volvía a la casa alas 2 de la noche.

So in the morning, you used to send me En la mañana, usted memandaba a lavar su carro.

to go clean your car.

I would vacuum, take out the mats, Yo pasaba la aspiradora,sacaba las alfombrillas y smack them against the pole to get the dust out.

las pegaba contra el postepara quitar el polvo.

And then I was maybe 14, 15, and I was doing that and a kid Entonces, cuandoyo tenía 14, 15 añosy yo estaba haciendo todo eso, from the neighborhood just began making fun of me.

un chico del vecindarioempezó a burlarse de mí.

"Hey!

Cab boy!

Taxi boy!"

"Oye!

!Cab boy!

!Taxi boy!"

That's one of those experiences that made me embarrassed.

Esa es una de las experienciasque me avergonzaba.

Mohammad Ashraf Faridi (MAF): At that time my financial Muhammad Ashrad Faridi (MAF):En ese entonces,mis finanzas no eran buenas.position was no good.

So you said, "I want to help you."

Entonces, me dijiste,"Yo quiero ayudarle."

MF: After your 18th birthday you can get your taxi license.

MF: Después de cumplir18 años se puede obtenerla licencia de taxista.

We drove together for a couple of days.

Manejamos juntospor un par de días.MAF: Right.

MF: You showed me the streets, bridges, everything.

MAF: Sí.

MF: Me enseñaba lascalles, los puentes, todo.

And I started college, and went to law school.

Y yo empecé en la universidady estudié derecho.

And I was still working part-time, driving.

Y todavía trabajaba detiempo parcial manejando.

And then I began working for a federal district court judge.

Y luego yo comencé a trabajarpara un juez federal.

The judge at that time was in his late 80s.

En esa época, el jueztenía 80 y pico años.

So I used to help him carry his briefcase down.

Yo le ayudabacargar su maletín.

And one day, the judge called for a car service, Un dia, el juez llamó un taxi yusted vino para recogerlo.

and you came to pick him up.

MAF: Yeah.

MF: I put the briefcase in the car.

MAF: Sí.

MF: Yo puse el maletín enel carro.

Nos saludamos.

We waved at each other.

And you drove the judge home.

Y lo llevó a su casa.

The next day the judge and me, we were having lunch.

El día siguiente mientrasel juez y yo almorzabamos, I said, "The driver who picked you up yesterday was my father."

le digo, "El chofer que lerecogió ayer era mi padre."

The judge was very upset at me that I didn't El juez se enojó porque yono le presenté a usted.

introduce him to you.

I, at that point, never really liked talking about my family.

En ese momento, no me gustabamucho hablar de mi familia.

We don't come from Park Avenue, and I was embarrassed that No somos de la AvenidaPark y me daba verguenzaporque usted era taxista.

you drove a taxicab.

Ahora no.But not anymore.

As I grew older, I'm proud.

A medida que crecía,ahora me da orgullo.

You know, I think you've done a great job.

Sabe que yo creo que usted hahecho un trabajo maravilloso.

MAF: The bottom line is this: I got everything in my life - my friends, my family.

MAF: A fin de cuentas, tengotodo lo que quiero en la vida:mis amigos, mi familia.Estoy contento.

I am happy.

MF: And in my life if I can emulate that by a fraction, MF: En mi vida, si puedoemular eso un poco, I would think that I've lived a good life.