PV: To get to where you are today, you have gone through many difficult challenges; can you share about the events in your life?
Chu Vinh Duc:From the age of 3, I was a chubby, healthy boy, until one day I had a high fever, and when I woke up, my legs were limp and shriveled. My parents told me that the family immediately took me to a higher level hospital hoping to save my legs because they knew it was polio. However, it was too late, and I grew up with damaged legs, with journeys from North to South, to all big and small hospitals.
My childhood was a journey of leg lengthening, exercise training and walking. I went through many major and minor surgeries with physical pain and mental breakdown. But strangely enough, I never complained about my fate, never got discouraged in my journey of “having to walk”.
I grew up in the loving arms of my parents, family and friends in the neighborhood. Strangely, despite my illness and weakness, I never lacked confidence in front of a crowd. In the neighborhood, I was close friends with children of my age, they were fair to me in all games and even in studies. I respected them and in return, they respected me.
That is the story of me not going to school but buying books to study at home. At first, my parents and friends taught me knowledge, but later on, when there were difficult problems, I solved them in front of them, and I taught my friends how to solve them.
PV:Talking about your self-study, I was surprised to know that even though you did not go to any school or have any teachers, you still finished the 12th grade cultural program. Can you tell us more about this journey?
Chu Vinh Duc:I “went to school” like a walk, that is, when I was old enough to go to school and saw my friends happily carrying their school bags, and even coming back to challenge me to read this paragraph, solve that math problem, I was very angry. My father saw that so he bought me a whole set of books for each class, each grade level so that I could figure it out by myself. At first, my father could guide and show me, but later, when it got more difficult, I had to ask my friends in the neighborhood. Every night, I sat down to study with my friends, the learning atmosphere was very lively, sometimes I was taught new knowledge by my friends, but sometimes they asked me why I could do this or that exercise. Just like that, I finished 12th grade, later many friends assigned me to this or that class group, I was even a member of a class at Ha Huy Tap High School.
My childhood passed peacefully, and there was no lack of childish joy, because I was always the host, although it was only after many major and minor surgeries that I was able to take my first limping steps with wooden crutches.
PV: I wonder, self-studying culture is difficult, self-studying English and portrait painting is impossible for many people. Yet you can do it all. What motivation gives you that strength?
Chu Vinh Duc:The motivation is that I want to stand above the challenges that life forces me to go through. And strangely, I have never complained about my disability. This makes me always want to try to be better than others, to be able to earn a decent living.
Since I was a child, I have loved drawing. Drawing is a source of positive energy in my life. It makes me feel free, dreamy, and myself. When I was young, I studied at the Viet Duc Cultural House during my time off from medical treatment, and won many big and small awards. My teacher told me that I had a special talent for drawing, so I should cultivate and pursue it. Since then, I wanted to make a career out of this profession.
I have a rather strange personality, if I say I must do it. With my two legs atrophied, the doctor predicted that my ability to stand and walk would be very low, but I was determined to walk at all costs, and I succeeded. When I wanted to make a career in drawing, I also had the intention of studying properly to be able to practice the profession, so I asked my parents to go to Ho Chi Minh City to find a teacher to learn drawing and I was able to make a living from the profession.
The teacher I met was very good, and had a very good method, but at first he did not accept students, he was quite eccentric, only drawing and drawing but determined not to pass on the profession. But with perseverance, day after day, standing at the door watching him draw, I received his nod of agreement. And the journey of learning to draw and upgrading my brush also began from there. I understood what is meant by fragments, the difficult techniques in painting, especially the techniques in portraiture.
During my time studying painting, I saw that many Westerners came to see and buy paintings at my teacher's studio. The paintings sold to Westerners were several times more expensive because most of them paid based on their artistic perception. I had long intended to learn a foreign language, and seeing the career opportunities I would have if I had foreign language knowledge, I wanted to make my dream come true even more. So, in the morning I went to rehabilitate my legs, in the afternoon I went to study painting, and in the evening I went to study English.
People ask me, is it difficult to learn English for someone who has never been to high school like me? I find it very normal. I grasp knowledge quickly and am passionate about this language, it opens up a whole new cultural and intellectual horizon for me. So I just keep studying, studying, studying forever, when I returned to my hometown, I also went to some advanced training centers and taught children in my neighborhood, including a university entrance exam preparation class.
I opened a foreign language and spiritual education class for more than 10 years. Later, I stopped teaching because I was busy with the work of the Association for the Disabled, and then got married and had many other things to do. But thinking back to that time, I feel extremely grateful for everything I went through, including the difficulties and challenges.
PV: Speaking of difficulties and challenges, when you grew up, which challenge was the most significant for you? Was it meeting your wife, proposing to her, and getting married?
Chu Vinh Duc:Well, for me, it was not a significant challenge but a memorable mark in my life. As I said, I am not an insecure person, I am a sociable person, my friends are people with the same interests and aspirations. So among my friends, the brother I often hang out with, there is one whose younger sister is my wife. My wife at that time was gentle, kind and very beautiful. She also considered me as her brother. At first, I only noticed her because she was pretty, but the closer I got to her, the more I admired her because of her personality. And I did not hesitate to show my feelings. The day I flirted with her was the day she was surrounded by dozens of men, but I ignored her, did not care, only focused on her. Unexpectedly, my wife also fell in love with me and one day she agreed to be my wife.
Going through the hurdle to bring her home was not simple, of course, her family did not agree. They thought that if she married me, she would suffer, would not have a strong shoulder to lean on, would not have a male economic pillar. But she ignored that, and my wife and I's iron will proved to both families that love is always a solid support, and we will do it.
PV: So when you became his wife, what difficulties did you encounter? Was love after marriage as perfect as he imagined and thought?
Chu Vinh Duc:There is almost no difficulty (laughs)!!!. My wife is busy all day with her sewing job, then with the food service job, I do all the housework. When she comes home, the meals and the house are already neat. To be honest, my wife is very easy with housework, she even has to call me for everything. So we almost have no big problems in life. Before we had children, we focused on this and worked together, enjoying love together, so although the waiting time was longer than other couples, it did not make us sad, on the contrary, we always joked that we enjoyed a long honeymoon. Later, when we had children, I was the one who always helped and took care of everything, so my wife had less trouble.
I have great happiness that my wife is always proud of her husband. If other wives whose husbands are disabled rarely appear, side by side with their husbands, but my wife is different, she always wants me to go with her to fun events, in groups. My wife is the one who does not see my disability, on the contrary, she always feels lucky to have me in her life. That is a happiness that is not easy to have for a man.
We got married in 2010 and now I have a grown daughter in first grade. My husband and I are always of one mind, accompanying each other through all the hardships of life. I have also tried my best and so has she.
PV: What is your concept of happiness?
Chu Vinh Duc:For me, happiness is very simple, it is seeing my loved ones every day, living with passion and conquering myself. I always feel lucky because life gives me many things, such as confidence, the ability to overcome challenges, and the will to realize my dreams. That alone makes me feel like I am a very privileged person.
Now holding the position of Vice President of the Provincial Disabled People's Association and Vice President of the Vinh City Disabled People's Association, I always keep in mind that I must be strong and energetic to spread the joy of life to the members. Many members still have difficulties and worries, but in general, we are always united, helping each other overcome difficulties and smiling in the face of challenges. We always tell each other that as long as we have strength, we will be happy and will see happiness every day.
PV:Thanks for this chat!