Part 1. Interview Questions
Interviewer: In which part of New York City do you live?
Interviewee: Mott Haven.
Interviewer: Have you lived in Mott Haven since you were a kid?
Interviewee: yes.
Interviewer: What was it like growing up in Mott Haven and living in New York as a kid?
Interviewee: It was difficult sometimes but also enjoyable most of the time.
Interviewer: What is your family like?
Interviewee: I have two sisters, both of whom are married. My mum has always been a Christian, but I do not recall my dad ever going to church. I guess I followed in his footsteps. In our family, everyone has always been free to do whatever they want. I have two kids, all of whom are boys. Like my mum, my wife is a Christian.
Interviewer: What is your general school experience? What was the school environment like? What is your level of education?
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Interviewee: I went to the Red Oaks School as a kid and then joined Mott Haven Community High School. I was abused in school, both racially and physically, something that greatly influenced my life and the person I have turned out to be today. School was not very easy because I did not have a lot of friends. I did not exceed past high school.
Interviewer: Can you describe your employment journey up to this moment.
Interviewee: shortly after graduating from high school, I joined the Navy. I got out after sixteen years. I had a severe thigh injury. I did odd jobs here and there, after my recovery. At the moment, I have started a hardware store with the help of my wife.
Interviewer: What is your social life like? Do you have a lot of friends now? Do you like to hang out with friends a lot?
Interviewee: I have been a loner most of my life. But these days, I can say I have more friends. I spend most of my free time at home with my kids or my wife. I do not hang out a lot, mostly because I quit drinking.
Interviewer: what are some of the most significant events and experiences that changed your life?
Interviewee: I would say my experiences in school, my life in the Navy, and meeting my wife. My experiences in school made me enlist in the Navy, so I could go away, escape my troubles and bullies and become stronger. Life in the navy transformed me and made me stronger psychologically and physically. Meeting my wife brought a whole new perspective to my life and opened my eyes to a whole new realization.
Interviewer: What is your parenting and parenthood like, considering all that you have been through?
Interviewee: I think I like being a father, and it helps stay at peace. I am soft on my kids and try as much as possible to make them happy and strong, so they do not go through the kind of childhood I went through.
Interviewer: Given your challenging life transitions and struggles, how have you been coping?
Interviewee: Coping with everything has not been easy. I used to work out a lot during my free time in the Navy. After I left the Navy and I was at home, I got through my days by doing a lot of reading and listening to music. Currently, I have been getting emotional support from my wife and the comfort of having my family, and I have been doing much better. Whenever I feel incapacitated or crushed, I turn to them, and they get me through it.
Interviewer: Thank you for participating in this interviewer. I wish you all the best in your endeavors and for your family.
Interviewee: It has been a pleasure. Thank you too.
Part 2. Reflection
Notable & Surprising Aspects
The interviewer shared a lot regarding his life and experiences. The interviewer was open and responsive, shedding some light on some of the most important experiences of his life. Looking at the man at the moment, one would have never guessed the kind of childhood and his life experiences. One thing that was most notable throughout the interview is the effect that the interviewer’s childhood had on him. An individual’s childhood significantly impacts on their future directions and life decisions ( Henriques, 2019) . He mentions how he was bullied physically and racially as a kid and how he thinks such experiences shaped his life and career journey. It is clear how such an experience can shape the life of a person. The interviewee, as he says, was a loner as a kid and did not have a lot of friends. He endured a lot of physical and emotional abuse from his peers. The challenge of having to be close to his bullies was unbearable and probably affected his performance, such that he could not attain the college entry points. Enlisting into the Navy presented an excellent opportunity for the interviewee to finally get away from the hard life and from the people who made his life very difficult. Life in the Navy would make him stronger enough to be able to face his bullies.
Certain aspects of the interviewee’s life are also quite surprising. First, it is surprising that while the interviewee mentions that his mother is a Christian, he does not say the same for himself. He even married a Christian lady just like his mother, yet he still does not seem to be interested in Christianity. Furthermore, having experienced a lot of challenges growing up and throughout his life, one would guess that he becomes absorbed into the faith at some point. The interviewee’s parenting approach is yet another surprising aspect of his life. With quite a disturbed life, one would imagine that he would be hard on his children so as to strengthen then for them not to be scared of the various life challenges. On the contrary, the interviewee was caring, loving and soft on his kids.
Significant Life Events
The interviewee has had quite a life. Having listened to his life experiences one point in his life that stands out as the most important event and experienced that changed his whole life for the better is the point where he meets his wife. This event changed his entire life and gave him a new perspective and purpose in life. At this time, he was now a veteran doing odd jobs and coping with various issues, including mental health problems. He was basically at the darkest point of his life. His wife not only helped change his life but also helped him in other ways, such as supporting him with his mental health problems. It is accurate why he dedicates most of his free time to be with his wife and children and not spend it having fun with his peers. At the point of their meeting he probably had no idea about having a family of his own. He probably thought there was no hope for people like him until he met her.
Life Transitions
The interviewee shared some of the most important life transitions he has gone through, and that has transformed his life and current situation. Immediately after completing high school, the interviewee joined the Navy rather than continuing with his education through to college. It was a major life transition as he would stay in the Navy for a decade and a half. Life in the navy transformed him physically and emotionally. After his thigh injury, he got out of the Navy and had to face a different kind of life altogether, which marked yet another massive transition in his life. However, he had to learn how to live out of the Navy. Things were never straight-forward in the open world. He had to look for jobs as soon as he was on his feet again. He was learning how to survive in this new reality. A few years later, he met the love of his life, who dramatically changed his life for the best. He got married and got himself into a whole new reality. A veteran with no much hope in life became transformed into a husband and father. While he is still struggling a little, it is clear that the interviewee is finally putting his life in order, and his experience at the moment is most likely the best he has ever had all his life.
Coping with Life Transitions and Challenges
The interviewee has had to adapt to different life situations and environments all his life. Coping has not been quite easy. While joining the Navy presented as an opportunity to get away from his struggles at home, it was also challenging to adapt to the new way of life. The interviewee mentions working out during his free time while in the Navy as a way of coping in the new environment and with his mental and emotional problems at the time. After leaving the Navy, it was difficult having nothing to do and nursing his injury. He tried to cope with his new reality by listening to music and reading books. This way he could take his mind off his emotional, physical and mental problems. However, the best way by which he has been able to cope with his challenging life transitions and personal struggles is by focusing on his family. At the moment, the interviewee is still struggling through his challenging life transitions, but the comfort of being around his family gives him the necessary emotional support and the strength to cope with those challenges.
Lessons learned from this Experience
The interview presented as an opportunity not only to get to know the life experiences of a senior citizen but also as a picture of how the life on any other individual can transition. For most people, life takes a spiral pattern, and there are always ups and downs. Some individuals face challenges early in their lives, and these challenges determine the kind of path they take going up ( Bergman &Andersson, 2015) . Just like in the case of the interviewee, a person may make life decisions based on their internal and external problems. At the time, people make such decisions; they are no actually aware of what their future would look like ( Jung, 2018) . The interviewee did not picture himself leaving the Navy and staying at home unable to work or do anything. He also did not imagine himself having great wife and a great family of his own. Such a life experience tells the story of how complex life is and the role of destiny in people’s lives.
References
Bergman, L. R., &Andersson, H. (2015). The person and the variable in developmental psychology. ZeitschriftfürPsychologie/Journal of Psychology .
Henriques, G. (2019). Toward a Metaphysical Empirical Psychology. In Re-envisioning Theoretical Psychology (pp. 209-237). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Jung, C. G. (2018). Psychology and the East . Routledge.
