On behalf of Club Afrique Today I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a very prestigious man in our community, Mr. Willie Kamara.
Mr. Kamara, a member of the growing Liberian community in Dallas, is professor of Economics at North Lake College. He and his wife Jamie moved to Dallas three years ago. In Dallas the couple enjoy family activities with much awaited one-year old son William. Also, he participates in several community activities such as membership in the National Conference in the South Western Region. Coming from a country with limited
resources, Mr. Kamara is now able to enjoy the bounty of resources available to him in America. With the help of friends and a lot of hard work, he has definitely proven himself to be a leader in the community with wisdom and insight worth sharing.
When I asked Mr. Kamara about his philosophy of life his answers were quick and to the point, yet very profound. He first said, "Life is short, any moment lost cannot be regained. When you face an opportunity, do not let it go, use it to the best of your knowledge and ability." Overall he sees life as a cup of tea, "when it comes, drink it, enjoy it, and then when it is finished, it's finished."
When asked to share his advice about how to live and become successful in America, Mr. Kamara gave reference to the many people who migrate here for reasons much the same as his. "The land is big," he said, "full of nice people. Make the best of whatever resource comes to you." Overall,
what allows him to be so successful is his belief in keeping a positive outlook on life and his religion. He feels that people with a religious foundation have hope and generally see things in a brighter light. With that brighter outlook on life, people will, Mr. Kamara believes, have a positive picture of life and live happier as well.
Mr. Kamara's personal religious beliefs permeate his personal life story and his reasons for coming to America. As a firm believer that if one works hard he will harvest bountifully, Mr. Kamara does not believe in relying on hand-outs to make it through life. In 1974 as a youth in Liberia, Mr.Kamara met an American in elementary school with whom he was able to keep in touch by correspondence with over the years. One day he received a letter from the American who offered to help him come to America to attend school. He saved money for the flight and came to America in 1986 to pursue his education. He completed his first Associate degree in Business; then followed with his four-year Bachelor's degree, and later finished his Masters degree.
Our interview ended with a very inspirational African proverb he shared on how to live the most prosperous life one can. He said that African wisdom always says, "don't live above your means," in other words, "cut your coat according to your size." He believes that people will only find pleasure and happiness by living within their limited resources. He has never tried to "keep up with the Jones'," and by doing so, he has not had any of the financial burdens that people come across today. Finally Mr. Kamara feels that life tends to be more pleasant when one makes financial choices within his comfort zone.
