Interview Essay - Beverly Smith

Interview Essay - Beverly Smith

Beverly Smith is currently 70 years old. She was raised in Fullerton and was part of a family of five children. Her mother influenced her life greatly. Beverly grew up quickly as a result of her mother's death when she was only 11 years old. Her mother was well honored by many. Beverly is actively involved in her religion, and enjoys exercising, and listening to music.

Beverly's definition of happiness is "where your heart is involved, it is a focus outside of yourself." At times, she chooses to be contented rather than happy. As a child, she did not discuss her feelings, and it was hard for her to know when she was happy.

When she is unhappy, Beverly turns to her faith. She practices what she preaches. She also turns to her close friends. Beverly says that she is wealthy in her friendships. Physical fitness is very important for Beverly's sense of happiness. She walked four miles to work for sixteen years, and now she attends aerobics class twice a week, reads her Bible daily, and enjoys listening to music. It makes Beverly unhappy that she does not get to spend time with her children. She says that she would like to get to know them better.

In regard to dealing with difficult people, Beverly told the story about a neighbor of hers. This neighbor has a bad attitude and used to upset Beverly so much that she would cry every day before work, but now, she has learned not to let it affect her. She said that she also does not hold grudges.

When Beverly's mother died, she was only 11 years old and it was terribly hard for her. She was the youngest of her brothers and sisters. They each had their own interests and activities, so she often found herself feeling lonely. Her childhood affect...

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... focus on differences more than relationships.

Beverly is usually pleased with herself because she is usually happy. She does not work on perfection, but on excellence. She is also comfortable with herself and with being alone. She is very interested with religion and would like to study more. Even though she has many male friends, she would like to have a man in her life.

Her advice for finding happiness is to stay open to life, run with every experience, and always get up when you fall.

My interview with Beverly Smith really helped me to stay open to the many possibilities life holds for me. It helped me to realize that I should follow my passions in order to be happy and how much the decisions I make now affect my future. I hope that someday I can achieve at least half as much as she has in her life. I admire her independence, charisma, and perseverance.