Here's my Story:

 I was born in East Berlin in 1959. My father was a physician and my mother was a dentist.

 Like Everyone Else, We Hated Communism.

 So In 1972 We Tried To Escape Using Falsified Passports via Bulgaria.

 We Were Captured At The Border. I Spent Some Time In A Communist Prison In Bulgaria And Was Later Deported Back To An East German Juvenile Prison.

 Keep In Mind I Was Only 13 Years Old! 

 My Mother Was Sentenced To Almost 5 Years In Prison. For Years I Didn't See Her, And I Didn't Know If I'd Ever See Her Again.

 Eventually She Was Released Into West Germany And It Took Another Year Or So Before The East German Government Finally Agreed To Let Me Go As Well.

 In 1989 (When I Was 30 Years Old) I Was Able To Immigrate To The United States.

 I Can't Even Begin To Tell You How Thankful I Am That This Country Exists. 

 Many Americans Take For Granted The "Little Things" In Life, Like

 - Being Able To Go To The Grocery Store Without Asking Anyone's Permission

 - Being Able To Travel Freely And Without Restrictions 

 - Reading Whatever Book You Want To 

 - Buy Whatever Brand Of Food You Want, And Actually Have A Diverse Selection Of Fruits, Vegetables, Pastries, Milk, Eggs, You Name It! - 

Until You've Lived In A Society Without Freedom, You'll Never Realize How Amazing Freedom Really Is.

 Seriously....To This Day Every Time I Walk Into Publix I Feel Like I'm Participating In Some Kind Of Miracle.

 I Know I Will NEVER Take The Little Things For Granted. 

At The End Of The Day, That's What The American Dream Is All About:

 * Knowing That We Are Free To Succeed 

 * Free To Fail * Free To Make Money, 

 * Free To Lose Money, 

 * Free To Buy Or Rent A House 

 * Free To Live Our Lives--The Way WE Want To--Without Asking For Any Politician's Permission. 

 That's The American Dream And I'm Still Thankful, Every Day, That I Have The Opportunity To Experience It For Myself