History of TR_04

Interview Paper
 Many things have changed over the course of just 3 generations. Technology has changed, the care for the ill has changed, and the way people interact with each other and communicate has changed. I feel like these changes shape each generation into what they believe and their values. Somethings I am going to talk about that have changed are recreation, the care for the ill and how people’s interaction with those with disabilities has changes as well as have been treated compared to now.
 The first thing I want to talk about is how recreation has changed over the years. The first person I called to ask about this was my grandma. My grandma grew up on a farm in a small town. She had may siblings like most people in her community. All the children in the community would find things to do to entertain themselves. My grandma remembers her pond freezing over in the winter time and all of her brothers and sisters out there skating on it. During the summer, they would roller blade instead. They didn’t have things like a community pool, but they still loved swimming. They would find a nearby ditch to take a swim in. Most of the recreation they found was outside and very active. This seemed to change a little with my dad’s generation. My dad recalls going to the park everyday as a child. This type of play seems a little more organized and structured for the children. Some may argue that this takes away from imagination. My dad grew up around the corner from an amusement park and would often go there to hang out with friends and find fun. While his play was still fairly active and outside, he didn’t have to find creative ways to play, it was kind of handed to him. As technology has advanced in my generation, there was fun to be found inside. I grew up riding my bike and doing those fun things outside. But it was a little different. The only time I found myself swimming in a ditch or a creek was when I was camping. Otherwise, I would go to the local swimming pool with diving boards and water slides and all sorts of toys. I remember my play being a little more strict like many of my friends. I couldn’t ride my bike freely around my neighborhood and my mother had to know where I was at all times. As I got into my early teen years, my friends and I found more things to do inside. Video games became popular and things like Facebook, YouTube and other social media began to take up our free time. I have noticed that in children today. I think it is hard for children to have an imagination today and to be able to find recreation on their own.
 I also interviewed my grandma about the care for the ill and how that has changed. My grandma talked a lot about the care for the elderly and the disabled. These people are family. They may have something that limits their abilities or makes them different from the “norm” but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a responsibility to love them and care for them. A nursing home was not heard of my grandma’s times. Grandma remembers that as she grew up there came a time when her parents took her grandparents in to help them. It’s the job of the family, to take care of each other. My grandma didn’t go to the doctor’s office, but rather when she was ill, the doctor would come to her and take care of her while she rested at home. This has changed a lot since then. My dad remembers going to the doctor and just like I do today. Technology wasn’t as advanced, but they had their ways of treatment. My dad grew up with a sister that has a developmental disability. He talked about the medical care being very good to her from the time she was born. During my lifetime, I see nursing homes and care centers all over. I’ve even worked in one. People seem very busy now and the value of family is declining. Medical treatment is very scientific now and pretty straight forward. While my grandma used natural herbs and home remedies to help her, my generation goes to get prescription for almost everything.
 The final thing I had a conversation about with my grandma was her experience with people with disabilities in her life. She talked about when she was in school, there were people in her class with disabilities. They sat in the same class as her and were expected to keep up just like the other students and she saw that sometimes it was really had for some depending on their disability. As my grandma got older and was married, her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She learned very fast how to help someone that is limited in their ability. She learned a lot about the technology that was out there to help her husband and the different things medicine could do. She also noticed that people began to treat her and her husband differently. Despite all that, she stuck to her old beliefs of taking care of family and she would not send him to a nursing home to be taken care of. On the other side of my family, my dad has had many opportunities to be around those that have disabilities. My dad grew up right along his sister that had a developmental disability. He also attended a special needs primary every week with his sister. During this time, people with disabilities were becoming a little more accepted. While his sister, Linda, was still teased a school, there were programs that would help her most progress. These programs for education weren’t just in all of the schools, but they were separated. Linda went to a different school for elementary through 8th grade because of her disability. Finally, for high school, Linda was able to attend high school with the rest of her siblings and community. This is when Linda realized her potential. She felt that she could become something just like the rest of the people in her classes. There were teachers that were trained to help those with disabilities and would help her understand. Since then, there has been more advancement. I remember in elementary I went to school with many people with disabilities. They were in my class, I played with them on the playground and they were my friends. I think society is becoming more comfortable with people that don’t fit the “norm” of society. They are our family and friends and people are realizing that they have goals and dreams and feelings just like we do.
 With each generation that passes, there will be more and more changes. I hope that in those changes we can continue to see that we are all children of God. We were all made unique but each given specific talents. I hope we can see the need and responsibility we have to help each other. I think we all have a disability in some way or another. Some of ours may not be as apparent as others, but we all have them and we are all here to help each other overcome our personal trials.