It's Thursday, the day of the Farmers Market in Swansea, Il. This market takes place every Thursday at the Rural King parking lot, during the summer months of April thru October.My grandfather Norm started this event about 4 year ago, with just around 3 vendors. Now the business booming, with approximately 15 vendors participating ,vendors now range from wooden sculptures, to jewelry, and even Shea butter to help eliminate dry skin. Norm was born and raised in Belleville, il where he and his wife Deloris raised four children Mary ,Mike, Tom ,Barb. When Norm was young he attended Belleville west high school, where upon he found his first job working in Sears sales department. Later into his career he found an interest in auctioneering, and created his own family business, called "Geolat auction". After 30 years of being an auctioneer, he retired and began his real passion in agriculture. At his house in Belleville Norm owns around 3 acres of land that he uses to grow peppers,tomatoes,beets,turnip,and even square watermelon. Norm was…
As I Easter came upon us, I knew my Grandpa John would be in town. My Grandpa John is 69 years old, and has experienced many different social issues during his life, so I decided to interview him. In his prime, my grandpa served in the military which allowed him to move often around the United States, and the world. I knew he had a lot of experience due to the military, and he was quite the storyteller. I knew it would be easy to talk to him about different social issues throughout his life. As we sat down we talked about many things, but the two ideas that really stuck out to me were the Vietnam War and the Space Race.…
When my step father committed suicide, it was the most shocking yet influential experience of my life. The whole situation expanded my understanding of mortality, spirituality, and of just how fragile happiness is. I can still remember the day that it happened; It was unlike any other day. I was in school when brother picked me up after lunch. We met up with my mother, and brother at my grandmother's house. The entire atmosphere was off. No one was acting like themselves. Immediately I knew something was wrong, even if their expressions and body language were not obvious enough. After sitting in the living room for what seemed like an eternity, I went into the next room where I found my mother who was crying, and when I asked what was wrong…
One thing that I am truly happy about my Dad is him giving us a dog. My mom doesn’t like dogs and she didn’t want us to have a dog because she think we can’t take care of it. My Dad still secretly told me and my brother of getting a small dog. We were excited and made sure to be prepare for the dogs arrival; my father personally let me see the dog first in hand. I was excited and now the dog been a whinny, spoiled, need attention, loving, and a crazy dog. I am thankful for Dad giving us a dog and go against my mother’s wishes for having a dog.…
People have called me a mama’s boy all of my life. I freely admit that I still am a mama’s boy to this day, even though my mama has been dead for 17 years. I talk to her every day as if she were still here with me.…
My Grandfather never complained. No matter how bad it got, he never said anything. When he was young boy, he was thrown into the brutal and treacherous lifestyle that made up a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Treated like a POW, his life was miserable. When he was released from the camp he had to pick up the pieces that was his life. Everything changed. He was just a young man to make his own in the world. He struggled for jobs, was discriminated against, fought in the Korean War, and yet provided for his brothers and sisters with a smile on his face. He eventually started his own automotive repair company becoming successful. My grandfather became a successful man, attaining everything he wanted except one thing. A college degree. His father wouldn’t let him obtain an education. My grandfather promised himself he wouldn’t limit the…
My parents got divorced in 2008. I was 9. At the time it didn’t bother me, for some reason I was the only one who didn’t cry. I stayed with my mother, and my father would leave San Diego and go back to live in Arkansas where he was born and raised. After he left, I questioned “ What caused my Dad to go back home? What is so good over there?”…
My mother’s parents would always share stories with us about how their parents came to America from Italy and Germany. They would bring out old photo albums and tell us all about how different life was for them and how they held on to family cooking recipes and every Christmas we make the same dishes that their parents would make. My father’s parents would also share stories about Ireland and my grandpa would talk about what he experienced when he was in the war. Unlike the family I interviewed, I was brought up in a Christian household. Every Sunday the whole family would attend church together and then go out to eat after to talk about what we had learned. We would also pray every night before bed and were always told to give thanks throughout the day for the life we have been blessed with.…
I never really think about not having a dad growing up unless someone points it out. That is, thinking about how it affected my life. “Sure it bothered me, but I didn’t need him,” is a quick summary I tell my friends. My father left Illinois not too long after I was born. My mother was still here, falling a tad bit short of the “responsible” example. Overall, I’ve done superb without him. However, thinking about all the times I wish he’d been here, I realize it made a big impact on my outlook and opinions.…
Never in my life had I ever thought that at the age of seventeen years old, I would lose my father in an unexpected accident. To this day, I feel it should have never happened. I would like to think it is all a bad nightmare and that I would wake up to see my father there the next morning, but unfortunately it is not the case. There are a lot of things I did not understand back then; especially about loss, sadness, anger, and fear. When it came down to these things I did not know how to handle these emotions so I began to suppress these feelings and pretend to act like I was the same person as I was before, but I was not. It hurt just as much to put on a mask in front of people who I knew and loved without uttering a word of what I felt in my heart. What hurt the most is that I lied to myself.…
The support system I had as a child would be my parents. Luckily I grew up in a two parent home as an only child. This boils my father over when I say, I am an only child. I am the result of a second marriage. I actually have a step-brother who is ten years older than me. We were never raised together. We are good friends now, but then, no we were a decade apart. Father worked for the railroad and mother was a high school teacher until I was born. My mother felt it best to be a stay at home mother.…
It was the year 2012, when I experienced a life-changing event, which led to my transition from childhood into adulthood. This event was my parent’s divorce. During this time I was scared and hurt, because my parents’ separation not only meant the parting of my parents-but parting from the life I’ve always known as a child. The separation moved at an almost mockingly lackadaisical pace. Months tediously dragged on, and even after the legal separation my life was never as it once was. I started to appreciate the people who were present in my life and how precious family stability is. The idea of losing my mother or father to divorce made me realize that this could have easily been a loss due to an illness. I grew to appreciate that I am lucky to have them in my life period. It was at this time that I seriously thought about working in health care; a field that aims to prolong human lives. This event of my childhood that some might even call traumatic, bettered me, and brought me into the adult world.…
When I got to St. Vincent’s hospital I thought I was in labor but the doctor said my water wasn’t broken yet. So I had to walk up and down the hallway for the baby to come down. Then finally the doctor pulled my water. And oh my god I was in so much pain. The nurse said” Keep pushing, the baby is almost out.” With a final push I had my baby. She was the most beautiful little baby with dark hair and big light brown eyes. I called Diana.…
My dad was extremely involved in my life especially when I was younger. I was a daddy’s girl one hundred percent growing up. My dad got me involved in all the sports I partook in. Encouraging me, giving me lessons, and helping me become better in any way he could. My mom was normally just there for moral support but my dad was the one to push me. He encouraged me to be good at anything I wanted to do. My dad played such a strong role in my life, and helped me become who I am today. The influences he forced on me created many of the interests I still have today. I feel as if I would be a different person if he weren’t there while I was growing up. To see the change that one person could have on you is deranged. She was involved in any sport…
It is a beautiful day in Sacramento, California and I am just getting lunch at “Mrs. Castillo’s home for Orphans” while I was eating string cheese and carrots with my best friend Elijah, my other friend Allie ran into the cafeteria and said “Hey! Samara! I have something for you, from Mrs. Castillo! After she was done sprinting, she handed me a note that said “Mrs. Castillo’s office, and I looked at the bottom and I saw something circled… and it said NOW!!! In all capitals. I knew that I did something wrong, I just knew it! I was so nervous I felt like I was going to throw up. As soon as I got up to the door I knocked, and heard her say “Come in my dear.” I walked in the door, and as soon as I got in there she turned around…