Meet D-One Johnson
It was in the year 2000 where a small TV projected the image of a large man. D-One, a young boy from Laos, saw Dwayne the Rock Johnson come into his living room as he watched wrestling with his father. The image he saw on the black and white TV was unforgettable, and the impact it would have on his life would be profound.
The Memory of My Pain is the Guide to My Mission
We begin D-One’s story before the year 2000. D-One was raised in Namyon, a small village located in the Northern part of Laos. At the age of seven, D-One’s most distinct image of his hometown was drugs. Many kids resorted to drugs at a young age as a way to overcome the hardship of tough village life. Temptations for students to use drugs at Namyon were high. The schools could not afford after-school programs and activities, so kids had a hard time avoiding the drug-related areas of the village.
Luckily for D-One, his school teacher, Mr. Soutaji, was determined to change this. He decided to make a ball out of a pomelo fruit and teach the games of football (soccer) and rattan ball to D-One and his friends. D-One instantly fell in love with sports and would play after school almost every day. He was blessed to have found something that could keep him away from trouble in the village.
I had to kick extremely hard when playing with the pomelo ball and my feet would hurt after every game. I Still loved playing despite the pain.
D-One loved his sports but will always remember the pain and struggle he had to endure to play. He vowed to one-day help kids like himself, by providing proper equipment for them to play with.
Enter Dwayne the Rock Johnson
The most important day of D-One’s life came in the year 2000 when his father brought home a black and white TV. The family sat down to watch one of the few channels they received and came across an American wrestling match. D-One was mesmerized by one particular wrestler who he describes “as the biggest man he had ever seen“. This man was, of course, Dwayne the Rock Johnson.
During Dwayne’s post-game speech, he said the words “If you smell what The Rock is cooking”. D-One asked his father what that meant, and his father said he wasn’t sure. He ensured D-One that he could find out if he studied more English.
The next morning D-One’s father biked 30 kilometers to the nearest city to find pictures of Dwayne The Rock. He returned in the evening, taped up the pictures he had bought, and said:
“Destakon, look at these pictures and remember to study English every day.”
Study D-One did, as his fascination for The Rock grew. He read any English book he could find, watched endless videos, and saw all 50+ movies starring Dwayne the Rock Johnson. He would translate every word he read or heard into Laos so that he could better understand what his idol was saying. Learning a language was frustrating but D-One used the strength of his role model to keep on pushing. Over time his English skills improved greatly and it was all because of his desire to understand Dwayne The Rock Johnson.
The Rock says don't be weak, be strong!
English Opened the Door
Knowing English as well as he did, opened the door to many jobs for D-One. His biggest opportunity came from The Gibbon Experience. Originally hired as a treehouse builder, D-One soon became a tour guide for the company after they recognized his superior English skills. Over time, he worked his way up the ranks and became one of the lead guides of the entire program.
Having the job as a lead guide for one of Laos’ most popular tourist experiences was never something D-One could have dreamed of as a kid. So many things had to take place for him to get to this point. Had he not played sports he may have become a drug addict. Had he not watched TV that day in 2000 he may have never seen The Rock. Had his father never brought those posters home he may have never been inspired to learn English. It all fell into place, and D-One recognized how fortunate he was.
The Mission
I had the chance to meet D-One in 2020, 20 years after he was introduced to The Rock. The first thing I noticed about him was, well, his obsession over the man. He had a Rock T-Shirt on, spoke in Rock quotes, and even made his guide name D-One Johnson for “Dwayne the Rock Johnson One”. I had never met a bigger fan in my life.
As I got to spend more time with D-One during the Gibbons Experience, I noticed a second, and more important thing about him, he was incredibly caring. I have had a lot of guides in my past travels but D-One went the extra mile to help his guest like no other I had seen before. At times I wondered if he was doing it all for the tip, only to later see him donating part of his earnings to a local hospital.
Who was this man and why was he like this?
I asked D-One more about his generosity, and his response revolved around his late father. He told me how his dad loved helping the community and always preached helping the less fortunate.
Remembering the pain he once felt on his feet, D-One dreamed to help provide the proper equipment that young kids needed to play sports. Never again did he want to see a kid choosing drugs because he/she did not have an alternative escape.
My father was very proud of the way I learned English. He always said work hard, walk slowly, but never stop working. If someone helps you never forget that but if you help someone don't remember it and boost your ego. I never hugged my father even though I wish I had done so
The Start of a Movement
I was fascinated by D-One’s story and his story and impressed with his generosity. I trusted him enough to ask if he would like to help me in finding a project to donate some money that I had raised. Being the man that he is, D-One went one step further and agreed to work with me for the entirety of the project.
Together, we decided on helping out Laoulung Primary School by providing school supplies and sports equipment. The project was completed in about one month and D-One was crucial in organizing the entire plan.
On Match 7th, 2020 D-One hand-delivered jerseys, books, printers, sports equipment, and much more to the school. It was on that day that we both felt the power of what we had just done. D-One felt as if he had found an outlet to continue his father’s legacy and I felt as I had found a bigger meaning to the dollars I was earning in life. Together we vowed to continue projects like the one we had just done and help schools across the country of Laos.
The Power of Inspiration
As a traveler and world citizen, we must recognize that not everyone grows up in a world where their path is clearly defined. Many poor villagers are led to believe that their poverty and future are set in stone. That being said, sometimes, it only takes a little inspiration, guidance, or opening of light, to change one’s mindset. A soccer ball could inspire the next great athlete, a book could inspire the next scientist, or a poster could inspire the next D-One.
D-One grew up in a life that offered little hope. With the efforts of his father and a little inspiration from Dwayne The Rock, D-One found his ray of light. Fast forwards many years later and D-One is now a self-sufficient man who is on a quest to provide other villagers their own inspiration to create a better future for themselves.
There is no doubt that Dwayne the Rock Johnson would be proud to know the impact his his biggest fan is making halfway across the globe. If only he could smell “What D-One is cooking.”
If you would like to be an active Donor in D-One’s mission, please contact Earth’s Corner to learn how you can join the cause!
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Awesome story and shows that perseverance pays off in the end. Good luck with effort to support the schools in Laos.
Totally love your story! Dett is truly an exceptional man. Thank you for sharing:)
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