Biography Essay - My Uncle Khaled
My uncle Khaled hails from Saudi Arabia, and lives in the capital city of Riyadh. Only 28 years old, he is one of the most interesting characters I have ever met, and he has accomplished so much despite many different setbacks. From tragedies as a child, he has worked his way up to finding great purpose in the military, as well as his large family and the new one he has just begun. These are things that he is very proud of accomplishing, and they demonstrate the key attributes of a man who puts others before himself.
Khaled grew up in a very large family; his mother and father produced 11 children, including him; this means he has four brothers and six sisters. Because of this, room was always scarce in this household; Khaled had to share a room with all six of his brothers, while the four sisters stayed in their own room. Bunk beds were the norm, and they would often talk to each other after the lights went out; this is when they would gossip about girls in school, trade insults about their teachers or other kids they didn't like, or pass around books. Sometimes their mother and father would catch them, but they were never punished too badly. One of the advantages of having ten siblings was that housework was fairly easy; Khaled was always on broom duty, sweeping up the floors while his brothers and sisters did the laundry, the dishes, and wiped down the counters, etc. Khaled liked working in a community like this, where everyone has a job and everyone worked together to get everything done; he says that this is one reason why the military appealed to him so much.
When he was 15, however, tragedy struck his parents. First, his father was diagnosed with cancer, something that devastated the family (especially since he was the breadwinner who made all the money for the family). It was only found until very late in its progression, and he died shortly after it was diagnosed. Bereaved, the family moved on, and some of the older siblings got odd jobs working in shops and the like, and entered the workforce to make ends meet in the absence of their father. Nearly a year later, however, his mother suffered a heart attack and died as well; this left the family practically orphaned. Luckily, the older siblings were already starting to take care of the younger children, and Khaled decided to follow their example and join the workforce as well.
His first job was as a cashier at a convenience store, which was grueling and tedious work, but he was appreciating the role he filled with his family. The money he helped to bring in helped everyone be supported, and the older siblings effectively adopted the younger ones. Khaled proved invaluable to the family, as he would always work hard to provide for them. However, he did make the choice to put work and his family before schoolwork, and so he did not graduate with the grades that he would have liked. Since he disliked school quite a bit, he decided he would not continue his education or enter the private sector right away in the workforce.
With that in mind, however, he found a line of work that he would find very fulfilling: the Royal Saudi Navy (RSN) (RSN.com.sa, 2013). Khaled had always been fascinated by the military, particularly in films and in books. Growing up in a big family, he understood the role of the one in helping the community get by, and so he understood the principles of the military that appealed to him. Quickly enlisting out of high school, he worked as an ensign for some time, enlisting as an officer aboard a missile patrol boat. Soon, as he kept progressing through the ranks, he eventually reached the position of Lieutenant Commander, a rank of extreme respect and something that Khaled is extremely proud of. It is his hope to become captain of his own ship in the RSN one day; he has really taken to life at sea, and enjoys the freedom and travel he has been able to experience. In addition to these pursuits, Khaled's interests are well-rounded and diverse; he is extremely physically active, and he spends a lot of time at the gym several days a week attempting to take care of his body as best he can. He loves sports like the marathon, and as such he has taken up running, participating in several 5ks and other competitions. He also adores swimming, and often find it a relaxing way to let off steam and relieve stress; a lot of his spare time is spent at the pool and at the gym. Other than that, he also enjoy reading nonfiction and history, taking lessons for both language and business, and cooking healthy whenever he can. It is very important for him to do his best at everything he can, which is why he works so hard at all of these pursuits and more; he fully believes that there is nothing valuable that comes from a job half done, or an activity only given half your attention.
Khaled tells me that he loves participating in sports and the military life because physical activity helps to build character. Developing character is a very important thing for a person; people who manage to develop positive skills and behaviors early in life can carry those behaviors through to the rest of their lives. Some of those important aspects of character include respect, honesty, courage, civility, responsibility, and more (Doty, p. 3). Team building and cooperation are other beneficial aspects of character that should be instilled in children at a young age. Participation in sports and sports-related activities has been shown to have a tremendously positive effect on the character of those who participate. Not only are there significant physical, mental and social skills to be gained from the practice of sports, but immense character can be gained from them. Khaled believes these things wholeheartedly, and enjoys being part of large groups, whether it is his sports teams, or his crewmates, or even his large family.
These joys and interests, of course, pale in comparison to his relationship and the start of his new family. Meeting Sanaa during one of his few leaves, he fell in love with her right away. They had met at a restaurant, where they were both sitting alone at adjacent tables, and decided to move the tables together so they could share their meal. Many meals came after that, and soon they were a close couple. They share many of the same interests, like sports and music, and Khaled always finds her to be immensely fun to be around. Three months ago, they got married, and fully expect to start a family once his tour of duty is over. Khaled feels as though he has learned a great deal from his experiences as part of a large family and in the military, as well as his interest in sports; he is very much a team player, and he wishes to make his family his team.
My uncle Khaled is a fascinating man who has overcome many adversities and struggles to become someone that he and others can respect. He has the love of his ten other siblings, all of whom still live in Riyadh and who still talk to him regularly. The love of his wife Sanaa, with whom he hopes to have children with quite soon, fills him with joy. His life and his commitment to the RSN gives him purpose and patriotism to his home country, as well as lets him live the adventure of life at sea. All of these things are absolutely fascinating about him, and Khaled is extremely proud of his life choices. He wishes, of course, that his parents were here to see them; however, he knows that they are watching over him, and he thinks about them all the time.
Khaled, interview:
28 years old
Lives in Riyadh, grew up there.
Had 6 brothers, 4 sisters, brothers and sisters had to bunk together in separate rooms for boys and girls
Boys would always whisper secrets about friends and teachers, and about girls, but would get grounded sometimes if caught
Khaled on broom duty while other siblings cleaned other parts of house like curtains, tables, dishes, clothes
Parents died when he was 15; father died first of late-stage cancer, then mother had a heart attack several months later. It was really hard for him to make do, and he missed them a lot, but he found comfort in his brothers and sisters. Older brothers started to work, then he started to work at convenience store after his mother died
Hated school, didn't get good grades. Decided afterward to join Royal Saudi Navy, since he had seen advertisements and he knew it would be financially stable. Enlisted out of high school and started out as an ensign on a missile boat. Now a Lieutenant Commander on same missile boat. Loves traveling and feeling free on the sea.
Loves sports and running; will often run around the ship for his morning routine. Runs marathons in Riyagh when he can, and takes swims whenever he can while on deployment as well. Gym on ships and on bases is very important to him, since he needs to stay physically fit. He reads a lot while on deployment - history and nonfiction books. He tries very hard at whatever he does.
Loves the navy and sports because they build character, as you learn to work in a group.
Meeting Sanaa was best thing that ever happened to him. They met at a restaurant, and he thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. They started talking and would keep meeting at that same restaurant. They then decided to get married; he proposed in that same restaurant.
Learned a lot from being in a large family and from his military life; he never wants to steal the show, but to help others achieve things together.
He misses his parents a great deal and thinks about them a lot. He feels a lot of patriotism whenever he serves in the Navy
Sanaa, interview:
Met Khaled at a restaurant, where she was eating alone - he moved his table over to her and she found him charming. They ate there the next day
A few months later, he proposed to her at the same table at the same restaurant. She said yes, and they got married three months ago
Khaled is always away on deployment, but once he gets more time they plan to start having children of their own.
Sanaa is very proud of Khaled, especially because of what he has accomplished given that his parents died when he was so young. She does not know how she did it (she is an only child), but is proud of him
Sanaa feels protected and loved by Khaled, and almost feels like a part of the military family as well - she is regularly visited by crewmates and their wives, and she visits Khaled's siblings as often as she can as well
Sanaa feels that Khaled thinks family is very important, which appeals to her - he is very protective and strong, and she finds new ways to love him every day
Works Cited
Doty, J. (2006). Sports Build Character?! Journal of College & Character. 7(3), 1-9.
Khaled, Interview.
Sanaa, Interview.
Royal Saudi Navy. Official Website.
