An Interview with a Senior Citizen - Admission/Application Essay Example

? An Interview with a Senior Citizen Part I Interview with Mr. George, aged 72 Me: Good evening Mr. George. Thank you very much for giving me your precious time. Mr. George: Good evening. You are welcome. Me: Sir, this interview is a part of my class assignment. I am supposed to conduct an interview with a senior citizen and write a report of the same. I assure you that your name and all other information will be strictly protected. Mr. George: That is ok. Anyway, what kind of interview will it be? What are you going to ask me about? Me: Sir, it is a kind of look back into your personal life, and the different stages of your life, and the things you remember, and the like. Mr. George: That sounds good. I love sharing my sweet memories, in fact. Me: You love talking about your past? That sounds interesting. With whom do you share these things these days? Mr. George: What do you think? Is there anyone nuts enough to waste time listening to an old man who only has stories of failure to tell? Now I am here with my second son, his wife, and three children. But none has time to spare. Frankly, this is not a complaint, but they don’t have time. Still, I don’t lose a chance to talk to anyone who comes this way. Me: I agree with you Mr. George. People these days do not have time to sit and listen. Why don’t you go outside and meet your friends? That will be a good way to pass your time. Mr. George: (laughs) That is rather disappointing from your part! Hey, I am seventy-two now, and moved out of this setting only very few times in the last two years. I have very limited mobility because of my arthritis. Also, you know, many of my friends are no more alive. (Sighs) At this age, I can’t expect older ones to talk to. I have to get used to the younger generation. Me: Would you tell me something about your past; your childhood and education? Mr. George: my great grandparents came to the continent from Africa in the early 19th century to work in the plantations. By the time I was born, the situation had changed a little; but not too much. My early childhood years were rather calamitous, not only for me, but for all the blacks in America. I had my primary education in a predominantly black school where education was not so good. During my preschool years, I became aware of the fact that my social interaction was highly limited to the black classmates as the whites often exhibited a sense of superiority. Me: If you look into your past, which are some important moments you still remember? Mr. George: If I look into past, important moments start from joining the school, completing graduation with good marks, getting close to Jemma; my wife, my first job, birth of my children. Then there are the bad ones that come at this later end of life like the death of Jemma, my retirement, immobility, and so on. Me: Oh, that is too long a list. Now I would like to ask you as to which are the most significant transitions in your life? For example, first joined the school, then became a graduate, became an employee, a married man, a father, and now a grandfather, retired, widowed, bedridden, and so on. Which of such changes are most significant in your life? Mr. George: The first half of the list you presented is full of expectation and excitement. So, though they were significant, they had good results. You see, when I got my first job, the feeling was rather mixed; on the one hand, I had the fear of taking up newer responsibilities, but on the other, I was rather proud too. Similar was the case with my marriage, fatherhood, and grandfatherhood too. However, the changes at this later stage, like my retirement, Jemma’s departure, and my loss of mobility, are all painful. Me: Then, how do you cope with this feeling of losses when you are alone, or when you feel you are done and no more useful? Mr. George: Who says I am done? Now I am just mature, wise, and experienced. Lads like you who are immature, unripe, and unskilled can come to people like me to gain some wisdom. Simply, when I feel useless, I look back into my life and reassert the fact that I lived a complete life, and I achieved a lot in my life compared to many of my contemporaries. I struggled through many of the odds that hindered the growth of a black young man like me, and managed to offer a decent life to my children. I had an enviable life as a husband, and now as a valued grandfather. This feeling is sufficient for me to cope with the issues I face at present. Me: Thank you for answering the questions. Part II Personal Reflection From the interview, it becomes evident that Mr. George, who is fully bedridden, is not so happy with his past. He is, to some extent, aware of the past events and experiences and their influence on his life. From his talk, it becomes evident to me that like Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development claims, Mr. George has gone through various stages of life. From his narrative, it is clear that he is aware of the lack of support he received during his psychosocial stages 3 and 4. He says that this situation had a huge impact on his initiative, and self-confidence. Still, as he was aware of these issues, he managed to strive ahead. However, from the interview, it becomes evident that Mr. George faces the serious problem of isolation because just like he claims, there is no one at present willing to spend time with him. First of all, many of his friends and acquaintances died in the recent past, and his wife and parents too are no more. So, as Singh and Misra (2009) write in Industrial Psychiatry Journal, there is loneliness in the life of Mr. George. Loneliness, according to the scholars, is the subjective, negative feeling connected to ones own experience of insufficient social relations. In addition, there is the study by Hansson et al (1987) that reveals that loneliness is linked to less psychological adjustment, and dissatisfaction with family and social relationships. In addition, it is pointed out by the scholars that loneliness is related to depression. Another point that caught my attention is his ethnic status. He is a black man who faced a lot of direct and indirect racial discrimination in his life. As George (1996, p. 236) points out, ones racial or ethnic status is a factor that contributes to depressive symptom levels. However, it seems that Mr. George is a man who knows how to manage the situation, to a great extent. To illustrate, he says that he likes to feel himself as mature, experienced, and wise, instead of viewing himself as done, useless, and tired. This attitude is supported by Kwan, Love, Ryff, and Essex; as they report in the study, when nearly 266 old age women had enhancing self-evaluation, there was a considerable decline in depressive symptoms. Thus, it seems to me that Mr. George is a knowledgeable man who is able to keep the feeling of loneliness under control through positive self-evaluation. Another point that attracted me is his revelation that it is necessary for him to communicate with the younger ones instead of expecting people of his own age. As Posner (1995, p. 127) points out, often, the problem with old people is that they tend to look for people of their own age, and fail in developing relationships. However, in the case of Mr. George, he admits this reality and looks for chances to communicate and socialize with younger people. From his description, it becomes evident that the most important moments in his life are the moments that involved transitions. To illustrate, the very first one he mentioned is his joining the school. As he joined the school, there were a number of changes that took place. First of all, he had to meet the expectations of his teachers, parents, and classmates as a student. This involved a lot of changes in his life, and thus, the event became memorable. Another important moment he explained is his getting a job. This again brings in a considerable change in ones roles and responsibilities. Here, one has to meet the expectations of ones employer, and colleagues. Thus, again a major change took place, and the event became memorable. In total, it becomes evident that old age involves a number of transitions which are often painful. A successful transition at this stage is dependent on a number of factors ranging from ones own experiences in the past, perceptions about old age, physical health, and social status. Mr. George possesses a considerable degree of knowledge, though indirectly, about these various factors, and hence, is able to manage the effects of transition. References George, L. K (1996). Social factors and illness. in R. H. Binstock & L. K. George, Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences. US: Academic Press. Hansson, R.O., Jones, W. H., Carpenter, B. N & Remondet, J.H. (1986-1987). International Journal of Human Development, 27(1), 41-53. Kwan C.M., Love G.D., Ryff C.D & Essex M.J. (2003). The role of self-enhancing evaluations in a successful life transition. Psychological Aging. 18(1), 10. Posner, R. A. (1995). Aging and Old Age. USA: University of Chicago Press. Singh, A & Misra, N. (2009). Loneliness, depression and sociability in old age. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 18(1), 51. Read More