I Know Roseanne Through My Aunt 's Best Friend

I remember on my first day of preschool, my mom told me, “Abby, don’t tell your teachers about your family.” Sitting in my car seat, at the age of 4, I was starting to become overwhelmed with confusion. This confusion bubbled up inside me for years. I had so many questions that I wanted to ask my moms, but I did not have the courage or the strength to ask. Then I grew up. My perspective on the world changed, and I realized that my parents were seen as a calamity to society. That was my perspective though. I wondered what my mom’s was. How did she grow up in a world that only saw her as a flaw in the system? So I asked. Beth Shaffer’s perspective on her past, the present, and the future is an astonishing story.

Delaney Covelli is a petite twenty-year-old, being just about five feet, three inches. She can appear to be tentative and very watchful at first, but once you get to know her, she begins to show you her wonderful personality. Although incipiently Delaney may be hesitant, when you get into a captivating conversation with her, she begins to feel more comfortable and her wisdom starts to emerge. She grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she attended Santa Fe High School for four years until she graduated in 2013. Delaney started doing activist work when she was twelve-years-old, and continued all throughout high school. She taught sex education for five years, was the community outreach coordinator during her four years of high school, and was

“I wanted to leave a legacy and have an impression on people” Mrs. Roche responded when I asked her how she made this career

In the early 1940’s Marie was born into a small tight knit family living in a small rural Kentucky town. Marie is now in her seventies and has led a very interesting life traveling the country, raising four children, and shaping her chosen profession. Our interview sessions were conducted over a period of time, as Marie is very active and has little “free time” to spare.

For this project I interviewed my mom, Lynn Pasko. During the course of doing this project and going through the questions, it made me realize how much I didn’t know about my mother. It never occurred to me how times have changed and how different things are now. I learned a lot about my mother that I did not know. Some of these include how my mother moved schools every year of her schooling up until her last half of junior year. I couldn’t imagine having to go to a new school every year. Not to mention how many friends she lost contact with and how hard it was to be the new kid every year. Another thing that had really surprised me was the hardest that she had to do. The hardest thing my mother had to do was after 9/11 happened, she had to write goodbye letters to my sister and I in case anything had happened to them on their way to Hawaii. Both my mother and father thought about taking different planes just incase if something happened to one of them, the other would still be there for me and my sister.

I interview my next door neighbor Mrs. Ann Wilson. Mama Wilson is what the neighborhood calls her. Mrs. Wilson favorite thing to say is “Live life for you or you’ll regret it in the long run.” She always looks out for others and wouldn’t mind giving her last to whoever needs it. Mrs. Wilson is a 67-year-old African American born in New Orleans, LA but lives in Prentiss, MS has 3 kids with her husband Lorenzo, who is 70 years old. Mrs. Ann is a stay at home wife while Mr. Lorenzo is a retired Veteran. They have a two daughters, which are Michelle 36, she is a college graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi, she’s work and run a private daycare, Shanna 30, is a Jones County Junior College graduate and work at Boswell Regional Center, and a son Lee 31, who works offshore and only comes on every six weeks.

I had never met a 99-year-old as sharp and sassy as she is and what made it all the more interesting is that most of the topics we discussed she was introduced to or witnessed or experienced them in my home town almost 75 years before I was even thought of. It was a very nice experience for me to imagine what life was like from her point of view. She was born during WWI she had been through the great depression, she drove onto a ferry boat to get to Jeffersonville Indiana and Louisville Kentucky whereas all I had to do is hop on the high way or cross a bridge to enter those areas when I lived there. I even drove passed her old home which is now a parking lot but it was still fascinating to have been so close to where someone I’d never met but has seen many different eras once walked with her family. I learned how to apply the methods and approaches of history to someone’s everyday life as far as what is remembered and what is actually recorded in history such as the silent film industry and radio broadcasting. These are all recorded landmarks of history but what isn’t recorded is the memories of people actually living in it, the emotion one may have felt experiencing such ideas and creations that were new to them. I also learned that the world has always been on a constantly evolving track and it’s amazing to not only read about it but to hear someone tell you about how they remember it to

Donna LaVonna Bergner is an 88-year-old woman who goes on long jogs in the mornings, dives off of boats in the afternoon and stays awake past midnight. Her age doesn’t defy her and she is the most extraordinary woman I have ever met in my life. She lived through the Great Depression, her husband fought in World War II and she also raised seven kids. I have the great privilege of seeing Donna LaVonna multiple days of every summer and even on some holidays. When I see her, she is always in a swimsuit, old-fashioned work out clothes or either very dressed up attire. She is a very odd duck but she has been through more experiences than anyone else that I have ever met and I am very grateful for the lessons that she is able to teach.

the wooden edge felt nice in my hand.(I could smell the aroma coming from the new finish. The room was very warm and my uniform smelled of campfire smoke. I could see the carpet plush under my feet. The light from the camera cast a blinding flash across the

We are all gathered here today to remember the short, but luxurious life of our beloved friend, Marilyn Cross. This courageous young woman did many incredible things throughout her lifetime. She was incredibly humble about those graceful things, nor she didn’t even realize what she had really accomplished in life. This girl in front of us today was number one, an All-American soccer athlete, number two, she was on the Honor’s Society all throughout Middle and High School, and number three, she was an inspiring woman who was a joy to be around.

O'Connor, Flannery; Magee, Rosemary M. (1987). Conversations with Flannery O'Connor. University of Missouri Press. ISBN 0-87805-265-8.

The taste of the bitter coffee slivering down my throat on a late summer night. The glorious sound of laughter beating off my eardrum. The sight of my beautiful best friends smiling. I just sit back and admire the wonderful and impactful people who have lived life with me for so long. I believe in finding your people.

Roseanne Connor is a positive role model for someone in the thirties from the sitcom, “Roseanne”. She is a loud mouthed, outspoken, overweight, and unapologetically working class who made no attempt to be the perfect mom. Even though she did her best. She was raised by an abusive father and a mother who just stood by while this happen. She raises her family with truth and humor. She doesn’t hold back when most people would and she fights every day to put food on the table and make sure the bills are paid. She is from a working-class family that works hard for everything they had and they do not have much. This makes her one of the most realistic sitcom moms.

Walking into Herts donut shop like “whaddup i want a donut” . “This is heaven” was the first thing I said as I looked around and the smell of fresh warm donuts hit my face . The place wasn't as big as I thought it was going to be , it was actually kinda small but it just made it feel more cozy in there . It was super warm in there , and I could smell all the kinds of donuts and coffee drinks they had . I could smell the fresh ground coffee and the freshly brewed tea. That wasn't even the best part , the best part had to be the smell of warm donuts that hit my nostrils. I could smell the chocolate frosting , the peanut butter, the Nutella and even the toppings such as the caramel and strawberry drizzle and the oreos and candy they use .

The day was October 1, 2016 and the time was 9:45pm when I met Mama. Mama is a Caucasian lady in her mid-70s and lives with her daughter. I met Mama while visiting an old friend at their house and we connected immediately. I chose to interact with Mama because I plan to work with the elderly and children once I receive my Masters in Social Work. I felt like this was a great opportunity to conduct more research on this special population and determine if this is what I want to do in my career. I also chose this individual because Mama was extremely inviting. There were no barriers I experienced prior to approaching Mama.