The Interview
Interviewing my ninety year old father, Joseph Denis, had me come to the realization that our childhood and teenage years had many similarities, yet had many more differences. Born in 1926 , Joseph was raised in a different era than myself, as I was born in 1961. Joe had six brothers and two sisters, while I had three brothers and three sisters. Although the technology had advanced and the basic lifestyles had changed over the years, family time was important to each of our families as we were growing up. This paper will compare the similarities and contrasts of our upbringings and lifestyles. I asked Joe about the house where he was raised, and he told me that he grew up in a small house which had an outhouse, the only bathroom …show more content…
We were allowed to bathe as needed. My three sisters and I slept in the attic, which was converted into a bedroom. When asked if family dinners were eaten together when he was living at his parent 's house, Joe stated, “Yes, unless we were at school or at work, we were to be home for dinner, or else! If we missed dinner, we would have to wait until the next morning to eat.”. He told me that the family would also have breakfast together, and lunch, when the children were not in school. Likewise, we were punished if we were not home for family meals. However, we were allowed to eat something before going to bed if we did miss dinner. Joe told me that when he was young, the family would play board games, such as Monopoly, Parcheesi, and checkers. The …show more content…
According to Joseph, credit cards were not available at the time, therefore, he paid cash for everything, including a car that he and his brother purchased, which made them a two car family. Hes money was also spent on parts for his bike, movies at the theater, dancing, , and clothing. He bought shoes at “Father and Son” and his clothes at the “Working Man 's Store”, where “the clothes were cheap but of good quality” (J. Denis, personal commuunication, October 27, 2016). Brand names were not considered while shopping for chlothing. Zoot suits were in style for men, but according to Joseph, he did not wear them. When going to school, church, or socializing, he would dress in slacks, dress shoes, dresshirts, and sweaters, and “always a tie when going on a date! And women would wear penny loafers with bobby socks and dresses or skirts with sweaters, they did not wear slacks (J. Denis, personal commuunication, October 27, 2016). He said that denim pants and canvas shoes were only worn while working or playing outside. The money that I had earned from babysitting and working at “Bonanza” was spent on trips with my friend, shoes, clothes, school activities, rollerskating, and gas for the car which I had borrowed from my parents. At one point, there were three cars at our family home. I bought my first car at
Interviewing my ninety year old father, Joseph Denis, had me come to the realization that our childhood and teenage years had many similarities, yet had many more differences. Born in 1926 , Joseph was raised in a different era than myself, as I was born in 1961. Joe had six brothers and two sisters, while I had three brothers and three sisters. Although the technology had advanced and the basic lifestyles had changed over the years, family time was important to each of our families as we were growing up. This paper will compare the similarities and contrasts of our upbringings and lifestyles. I asked Joe about the house where he was raised, and he told me that he grew up in a small house which had an outhouse, the only bathroom …show more content…
We were allowed to bathe as needed. My three sisters and I slept in the attic, which was converted into a bedroom. When asked if family dinners were eaten together when he was living at his parent 's house, Joe stated, “Yes, unless we were at school or at work, we were to be home for dinner, or else! If we missed dinner, we would have to wait until the next morning to eat.”. He told me that the family would also have breakfast together, and lunch, when the children were not in school. Likewise, we were punished if we were not home for family meals. However, we were allowed to eat something before going to bed if we did miss dinner. Joe told me that when he was young, the family would play board games, such as Monopoly, Parcheesi, and checkers. The …show more content…
According to Joseph, credit cards were not available at the time, therefore, he paid cash for everything, including a car that he and his brother purchased, which made them a two car family. Hes money was also spent on parts for his bike, movies at the theater, dancing, , and clothing. He bought shoes at “Father and Son” and his clothes at the “Working Man 's Store”, where “the clothes were cheap but of good quality” (J. Denis, personal commuunication, October 27, 2016). Brand names were not considered while shopping for chlothing. Zoot suits were in style for men, but according to Joseph, he did not wear them. When going to school, church, or socializing, he would dress in slacks, dress shoes, dresshirts, and sweaters, and “always a tie when going on a date! And women would wear penny loafers with bobby socks and dresses or skirts with sweaters, they did not wear slacks (J. Denis, personal commuunication, October 27, 2016). He said that denim pants and canvas shoes were only worn while working or playing outside. The money that I had earned from babysitting and working at “Bonanza” was spent on trips with my friend, shoes, clothes, school activities, rollerskating, and gas for the car which I had borrowed from my parents. At one point, there were three cars at our family home. I bought my first car at