A Note On the process

When given the assignment to record the life history of someone who identifies himself/ herself in a farming community, I jumped at the opportunity to get to know a local, older farming couple.  The task, not as simple as I believed it would be, became difficult as I realized during our first meeting that my interviewees were not as willing to share their life stories as I was to record it.  Overwhelmed with frustration, I took the easy route and "gave up" in the sense that I decided to find another farmer.  When the opportunity arose I talked to my aunt, who informed me as I began to pull out my tape recorder that she was not comfortable with that.  Due to time constraints, I ended up interviewing my father, perhaps the person I should have chosen from the beginning.  I had two sessions with him and spent hours transcribing his words for posterity (and my professor).  Although my project didn't turn out as I expected, I learned that perhaps the most meaningful and interesting life histories can be your next door neighbor, the person sitting next to you on the bus, and in my case, my dad.                                           

                                                                            

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My Grandparents c. 1920's