I took our car to the dealer for some service. A shuttle driver for the dealer gave me a ride home so that I didn’t have to wait around.

I chatted with him for a bit. He is one of eight children and is from El Salvador. His father left the family when he was young. He said that his mother was gone for months at a time, trying to earn a living elsewhere.

This person came to the U.S. alone, at age 16. He is 31 now. He goes home for two weeks every Christmas.

I’m always impressed when I hear stories like this. Stories of hardship, but also, hard work. I think that as long as people like this man can come here legally, our country will be OK.

We’re in a time when much of the national debate is about dividing the pie (e.g., tax rates, deporting immigrants). I’d love the debate to shift to growing the pie.