Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Task #36: Meet an Optimist/Hear Tracie's Story (Kim)

36.  Meet an optimist and hear her story.

As Rachael and I stressed throughout this project, not all of our tasks had to be planned.  We expected the unexpected - for people to suggest a few tasks that could become vital to our project And that's how I found myself interviewing Tracie this afternoon at Norwalk Community College.

My mom works at NCC teaching students how to become medical assistants.  She knew all of the obstacles Tracie has recently faced, and she suggested that I interview Tracie as part of my Project Explore.  Because teenagers are considered the most self-absorbed generation, my mom believed Tracie had valuable advice and experiences to share for my project.  And she was absolutely right.

Though this is the only part of Tracie's life that I learned about and this was the first time I had met her, I could see how amazing she is.  My mom told me how great she would be to interview, but I had no idea what to expect.  Since I didn't know her, I didn't have a lot of specific questions to ask.  Luckily, Tracie knew exactly what to address, and I could form questions as the interview went along.  She was very open about all of her experiences.

This interview was an incredible experience for me.  Her grateful attitude despite the hardships she has faced was refreshing.  I am often surrounded by people complaining about how tired they are or how unfair life can be, but Tracie was not at all bitter even though she faced a cancer typically associated with people over the age of 50.  Tracie was only 37 when she was diagnosed.  Her advice about being able to push past anything with a good attitude was invaluable.

A huge thank you to Tracie for being so open and willing to share your story.  I loved creating this video.



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