“I had a brain stem stroke in 1988 when I was 26, so I’ve had my physical challenges. My mind is great. It’s just the physical ability.

“I’m not paralyzed, but I can’t walk because of the stroke. I’m naturally left-handed, but I can only use my right arm. I had to learn how to do everything with my right hand. I didn’t have a choice.

“Because of the State of Illinois going broke, it affected my disability benefits. I wasn’t able to continue getting all the therapy I needed. Things have been much better in Texas.

“After my stroke I went back to school. Over the course of about eight years I got two degrees, one in engineering technology and one in graphic design. But I couldn’t get a job, so I designed these unique spoons out of my own education. Hopefully, I can make a business out of it.”

How do you spend most days?
“Thinking about how I’m going to sell all these spoons. We’ve sold a couple hundred sets, but I ordered 10,000. I still have a storage unit full of them.

“I want to get off state benefits. If we can make it, I can get off social security, off food stamps. You know, some people take advantage of having those kinds of things. I don’t want to be on food stamps or medical insurance. Why shouldn’t I try to make myself better?”

— Ken Vantroba

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“My boy is 19 years old and he’s fixing to go back to college. He went the first semester last year and my wife has been trying to convince him to go back. Me, not so much.

“I don’t think college is necessarily for everybody. I never went to college and I’m doing fine. Not to say that it couldn’t have helped me, but I’m 50 years old and running two businesses of my own.

“I don’t think he knows that we feel differently about it, so I just let her say her peace. If he goes to school, fine. If he makes something of himself otherwise, that’s fine, too. Overall, I just want him to know that he needs to work hard to achieve something in life. He understands, but he still has a lot of kid left in him.”

— Kelly Wilburn

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“This place was built in 1928. It served as an interurban depot, moving people back and forth through the area.

“We bought the building and land from the Missouri Pacific Railroad and opened our feed store here in 1984. Over those 31 years, we’ve probably had fewer than four weeks of vacation. We’re finally planning to retire to the country near Canton, Texas, so we’re trying to sell this place. Know anybody who wants to buy a historic building?”

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“My plan is to become a fishing and hunting guide. You’ve got to love what you do, and I’ve always loved to hunt and fish. I just enjoy being outside. I can’t be inside. I worked at Academy for a short period of time in the hunting and fishing sales section. That just wasn’t my thing.

“I want to be my own boss, too. I see people who are self-made and it really appeals to me.

“I want to make something out of myself and my business. One day, hopefully, when I have kids and they’re grown up, they can take it over from me.”

Related:

• His dad perseveres following stroke, aneurysm

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“The majority of items we sell come from buying old storage units at auctions. The secret is to make sure you only bid based on what you can see. Don’t take a lot of chances or get into a bidding war with people.

“The most we’ve ever spent on a unit is $1,000. My comfort zone is probably $300-$500, but I’ve seen them go as high as $5,000-$6,000.

“We paid $50 for a unit once and found $1,500 cash in it. We paid $10 for another unit and found a 24-carat gold lighter in it, then sold it for $600. Bid smart and you can do pretty well with it.”

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“I was born and raised in Kuwait, then lived in Amman, Jordan, before moving to the States when I was 22.

“When I came here, I had very basic knowledge of English. Now I’m married, I’m a small business owner, and I’m working toward my master’s degree in business.

“This is the land of opportunities, the American dream, right? But it’s also everyone’s dream around the world. No matter what part of the globe you’re from, the dream is the same: to live in peace, have a nice place that you can call home, a car, a wife, start a family. I’m very thankful to have an opportunity to live the dream.”

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“I helped my grandpa do his roof one time when I was young, and I really enjoyed it. Now I work for myself, doing home repairs.

“I do pretty much everything … plumbing, electrical, you name it. I enjoy making cabinets the most. I’ll never get rich doing it, but my kids are taken care of and my bills are paid.”

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“No sir, I’m not retired. I’ll be 79 on July the 24th, and I probably work 60 hours a week.

“From the time I was real small, I thought I was a partner in the business with my dad. He developed the Graywood subdivision in Baytown. Then in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I developed the Fairmont Park subdivision in La Porte. My newest project is Kilgore Business Park, which will serve industries in the area.

“I still love working. I grew up working in the oil field. And when you’ve got a drilling rig going, you can’t afford to shut it down. So it’s 24/7.

“You’ll see on my business card that I’ve got all my phone numbers, and I tell everybody to call me as early as they want to and as late as they want to, and anytime they want to. Because 24/7 means you’re available when the need is there. And I enjoy that.”

— Eddie Gray

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— Richard Andrews

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