Grandfather Interview

I chose to interview my grandfather for option 3, and he is 78 years old. I chose him because he is my oldest living relative, and he also has had a pretty interesting life. Below I have the narrative form of his life, as he answered them. I tried to ask him the questions in the exact way they were worded.
Q1: Who were the most important people who contributed to shaping your life, both as a child and an adult? I would say that the most influential people to me were my father and my brothers as a child, and as an adult I would say it would have been Ruby [his wife] and the kids [Matt, Beth, Jason, and Katie]. When I was a kid my dad and brothers were the people I spent the most time with; we’d wake up at the crack of dawn, go milk the cows, …show more content…
Physically I would say it has impacted me, I can’t do what I used to, but I can do more than most people my age that’s for sure. My vision is pretty good, and so is my hearing. I don’t take medications for any health problems, and I don’t hunch or shuffle like most of the people my age that I know! I’d say that emotionally I have calmed down, but your mother [Beth] could tell you that I’m still a little bit rambunctious. What is it she calls me? A picker, I pick on people. Mentally I haven’t noticed any changes, I wasn’t ever the smartest guy in the room but I think I am doing okay. Socially things have been okay. I know more people in the cemetery than I do in real life! Just last weekend we had our reunion for work, and out of the 250 people only about 50 were still alive. So socially I’d think maybe it hasn’t been that great, but I go have dinner with my brother Sam and his wife every Sunday, so I think it’s …show more content…
I’d say I am [satisfied]. I have a big loving family, and even if we have lost some important people [Ruby, and Polly his daughter in law] that isn’t really something I could have helped. I had a good job and I get good benefits, and I have plenty of money to live comfortably. I was smart with my money so my kids will have a nice inheritance, but that won’t be coming for a while! I don’t think I’d know what to do if I could start over. I’d probably do what I did, because it’s a good life and I really don’t know what else I’d do. I’m not smart or nothing like that, so I think my only course could be to go into factory work like I did. I would say my biggest accomplishment is having a million dollars. [He laughs quite a bit because I gave him a funny look.] No, I’m kidding, I’d say it’s my family. Every time we all are at my house for Christmas or Thanksgiving, even without grandma [Ruby] there, it shows me what I’ve put into this world. I’ve got smart, good looking grandkids, and I don’t know how that happened! But, you know, I’d say my family