Blog Post 3 Glass Castle

I don't think there’s one family on TV that captures the American Family culture.  If you could take the Connors with their middle-class struggles and combine the Chrisley’s, then I think it would be more of an American family. 

I see the Connors living from paycheck to paycheck that most people do anymore. Their kids make fun of each other and their house is not pristine because they are too busy running. Then you have the Chrisley’s granted they are very wealthy, but I am talking more about second marriage and having kids from another marriage.

 

I see the American family more as someone bringing a child into the mix. Either spouse was married before, and they have a new set of struggles. Some it is financial struggles and some it is a step parenting. 

I grew up with twelve brothers and sisters, and my parents were from Ireland. We did not have money, but we were not as bad off financially as the Walls. I wouldn’t say our family was like other TV families, but if I could pick a movie, it would be cheaper by the dozen with Steve Martin. My parents raised us to be very independent, but with twelve kids I do not think they had a choice.  We cooked, cleaned and done our wash by 7 or 8 years old. I identified and appreciated how the Walls raised their kids to be independent, although sometimes I do believe they were pushing it with Jeanette cooking at three years old over the stove.  We never had new things, and being the oldest girl with three older brothers I always got my brothers hand me downs.  My Parents came to America and worked hard for everything and taught us to work for what we want. They were strict and raised us with very strong family values that holds true to this day, you can see a bit of the Walton’s in our family. We were not saints and we still had our struggles and issues just like every other family. 

My marriage is more like Full House TV series. I married later in life to my husband who already had a daughter. We married and had two daughters. We have my husband’s brother living with us as well. I see most of my friends in a second marriage with kids from a previous marriage.  I can identify with the struggles of being a stepparent and just the everyday struggles of being a parent. We raise our daughters in a middle ground, not strict but we don’t let them do everything they want either. Sometimes we do resemble the Walls family, I let my kids stay up as late as they want as long as there is no school. We do not have a lot of rules and if we do they are bendable depending on our mood. This is something Rosemary would do as well .I think it’s funny how I was raised so strict and now I am more of a free spirit with my girls. I do however still stick to the same values my parents taught me that Family is first.

Riding the boards

 

My thoughts on writing my first college paper in almost 20 years.

Writing my first college paper for almost twenty years was overwhelming. That it is an understatement!

I had to read all the assignments but absorb what was being said in the articles. I found myself going back sometimes and re-reading some of the articles. Since I have been out of the college game for so long now, I have second guessed myself over and over. I know I shouldn’t let my age get involved, but I do, and I feel some of the younger women get it.

I found my self-consumed with this first paper canceling family parties and working on it at work in my down time. I am not sure if it was the subject itself, but I do know I struggle with getting my thoughts down on paper.

My husband was a big help this week and would say the first thing you do when you get home is homework. That’s it do not worry about anything else, he was such a big help.  I know he is proud that I am going back and wants to see me succeed.  I  also bounced ideas off of him, and he also helped with his view on my paper.  My daughters love to watch me doing homework. Also, I had to laugh my daughter said now you know how it feels.  I have nine employees under me, and I had a few come into my office and talk to me about my paper, school work how do I do it. I think I am inspiring a few other women at my office to take some college work now. That’s a great feeling.

I changed my original idea for the paper from The Biggest Loser to the Carl’s Jr. advertising. I  read some feedback, and I am still sticking with that but  focusing more on the general idea of food and pop culture and focusing on one commercial.  I find myself wanting to give too much information and not focusing on the general assignment itself.

I sat. in my office and just starting typing my thoughts. Just putting everything out there on the subject. Once I had that done, I would re-read the assignment sit and think what needs to be changed. I tried to organize it, and I sent my rough draft into Smart thinking at least four times. This was very helpful, and I highly recommend using this even before a rough draft to see if you're headed in the right direction of the essay. What I found doing this essay is that I am very organized in my everyday life but not in my writing.

Each rough draft I did I would ask myself are the needs being met by my professor and classmates. I would change my rough draft around again and again. Once I got my rough draft back from Smart thinking, I would use their suggestion and then change it up a bit and re-submit. I thought to myself is this normal? I used my neighbor and a few friends as feedback as well as my classmates.

It’s now Sunday afternoon, and I thought I may be done but now that my professor extended this to Tuesday night. I will add more to this on Monday then do a once over. I hope I have caught everything my professor is looking for. I want to show my manager a good grade as well as my family and just for myself as well.  I am not sure it will get any easier, but now I know what to expect.

Have faith in yourself, ask questions and more questions.

You can do it!

Kelly Christine