Hi, and happy Valentine’s day as I’m writing this!
This quarter has been just as stressful as the previous ones online, and I definitely feel like I’m falling behind. Last weekend, I finally did my first interview with my Extraordinary Person, my Aunt Terry. I was worried originally because I haven’t done any kind of interview on my own, so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. It was also over Zoom so that was strange as well. I had prepared a few of the questions from 7 Memories that I found interesting -- what was the happiest moment of your life? Has your life been different from what you’d imagined? How do I remind myself of you? Fortunately, my Aunt was fully prepared with tons of memories and photos that she showed me over the interview, so my prepared questions weren’t really necessary. It flowed like a normal conversation, and I learned so much more about her than I have ever known. While I knew that she retired as a high school counselor, I didn’t know she began her career as a math teacher. I didn’t know she wanted to major in art but her dad (my grandpa) told her she had to major in a STEM field. She showed me some of her art, too!
I’m really grateful for this project because this is absolutely something I would not have done otherwise. I’ve always thought about my family in the now and the future -- weddings, a new baby cousin, holiday gatherings -- but never about how everyone got to where they are now. My grandparents moved to New York from Italy, and somehow the majority of my family lives in San Diego now. I now know why my Aunt moved, but not anybody else. It’s so interesting to think about the lives of my aunts and uncles before I was born, especially since I only have the “now” perception of them
This quarter has been just as stressful as the previous ones online, and I definitely feel like I’m falling behind. Last weekend, I finally did my first interview with my Extraordinary Person, my Aunt Terry. I was worried originally because I haven’t done any kind of interview on my own, so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. It was also over Zoom so that was strange as well. I had prepared a few of the questions from 7 Memories that I found interesting -- what was the happiest moment of your life? Has your life been different from what you’d imagined? How do I remind myself of you? Fortunately, my Aunt was fully prepared with tons of memories and photos that she showed me over the interview, so my prepared questions weren’t really necessary. It flowed like a normal conversation, and I learned so much more about her than I have ever known. While I knew that she retired as a high school counselor, I didn’t know she began her career as a math teacher. I didn’t know she wanted to major in art but her dad (my grandpa) told her she had to major in a STEM field. She showed me some of her art, too!
I’m really grateful for this project because this is absolutely something I would not have done otherwise. I’ve always thought about my family in the now and the future -- weddings, a new baby cousin, holiday gatherings -- but never about how everyone got to where they are now. My grandparents moved to New York from Italy, and somehow the majority of my family lives in San Diego now. I now know why my Aunt moved, but not anybody else. It’s so interesting to think about the lives of my aunts and uncles before I was born, especially since I only have the “now” perception of them