Class Project

November 18, 2013
by Ryan

I recently had to interview an older adult (65+) and write a paper about their changes in roles, responsibilities, and occupations. I interviewed Walter (fake name for privacy purposes) who is actually my dad. In order for me to fit in this interview, I chose to interview my father and I know very little people over 65 years old. My grandparents have all passed away; I have a great-aunt and 2 friends but could not coordinate schedules . . . so it ended up being my 66 ¾ year old dad. And I am so glad it worked out this way. I did not grow up with my father and have built a relationship with him as an adult so I enjoyed sharing this time with him. I also don’t get to see him that often and I learned a lot about his past.

I don’t think he really understood that I was interested in his activities/occupations but he shared a lot about his views and interests throughout his life. He was very politically involved and had interest in the Black Panthers which was very surprising to me. I have rarely seen my dad mad, or even mean to a single person. He is the sweetest, fun loving guy and I could not see him relating to violence. He explained that he grew up in Los Angeles in the 1960s and ‘70s, around gangs and violence so that was all he knew. He even expressed that he never thought he would have lived as long as he has. As we continued to talk about the activities he has transitioned to now I noticed a shift in the way he looks at his life. When my dad was young he was a bit more selfish in his thinking about did not think of the future. Now his main activity is working to support his family and prepare himself for retirement in the next year. Also within the last couple years, he has changed to eat healthier food and has expressed wanting to be more involved with his family, especially his grandkids.

I think my dad has become wiser in his older age and he agrees. He no longer feels he is self-destructive; he just wants to make people laugh and help his family. This interview was such a great gift. I really enjoyed seeing another side of my dad and I think I will try to do a few more recorded interviews for myself to keep. I appreciate his positive attitude about aging and I hope to help others see the value in finding meaning throughout your life if I work with older adults. I also will take this information with me as I get older and hope to age as gracefully as my dad.

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