Interview Assignment

Q: What is his/her relationship to you?
A: Mother & Son

Q: 1. Have you always been as healthy as you are now? Please explain.
A: I wasn’t so healthy when I was in elementary school……Looking back, I used to miss school a couple of times every month. I used to have severe stomachaches every month for an unknown reason. I was also very weak 2 years after I gave birth to your younger brother. Every time I worked physically for about 30 minutes, I would become so tired that I was forced to sleep for 2 hours. So my life was pretty much like, 30 minutes work, 2 hours sleep, 30 minutes work, 2 hours sleep…


Q: 2. What particular health habits in the following areas do you practice, that contribute to your level of health?
A: REGULAR exercise (particularly jogging and stretching) and REGULAR sleep. Several years back, I wasn’t doing exercise regularly and stretching regularly. I was sleeping regularly, of course (chuckles), accompanied by occasional afternoon naps. When I was young, I wasn’t sick any bit even if I didn’t exercise any bit. But now that I’m over 40 years old, I get regular…signals, if you would call it, indicating that my body isn’t functioning well. Still limbs, joints, and occasional pain. After I began stretching and jogging regularly, my body is sending less ‘warning signals’. Another reason why I exercise often is because I really feel refreshed after I do some exercise. You young people usually think that exercising has nothing to do with how you feel, but as you age, you’ll find out that exercise DOES help. A lot.

Nutritional Habits: I don’t eat too much, and I try my best to consume vegetables. I also avoid salty and spicy food.

Fitness Habits: as I’ve mentioned before, I jog and stretch. Regular jogging keeps my weight down and prevents joint pains.

Coping with Stress: I would gather with my friends if I have experienced something upsetting, and I would chat on for hours and hours about that experience. Because my friends consist of Korean mothers, and because they cope with stress in similar way, I and my friends literally have a gathering where we criticize, swear, and gossip about upsetting things. From children’s misdeeds to husbands’ rash actions, we talk on and on until our stress goes away. I also watch movies and dramas to relieve my stress.

Dealing with Conflicts: When I’m dealing with conflicts, especially with fellow mothers, I usually try to talk the problem out. I would say calm, soothing words first, wait for the person to calm down, and then get to the core of the problem. I resort to violence if such methods fail.

Keeping a Positive Attitude: I’m not perfect, so many of the times I DO have very negative attitudes. But since I know that positive attitude is more constructive than negative ones, I try to remind myself again and again to have positive attitudes.

Any Additional Healthy Habits: none.

Q: 3. How did you develop these habits? Please explain.
A: I developed my habits because of my necessities. I played golf some years ago, and sometimes I would get cramps and other aches that would last for weeks. When I didn’t do anything about those problems, my body wouldn’t stop aching for a very long time. Then, I got some recommendation from my friends. They said that they benefited from doing simple stretches and exercises. So I did them. And the results were above my expectations. Cramps and pains that wouldn’t disappear for weeks simply vanished in days. That’s how I started stretching and jogging.

Q: 4. What motivates you to practice a healthy lifestyle?
A: I liked the idea of being free from joint pains, aches, cramps, and so on. I also liked the idea of assuring myself that I could so something to prevent my body from aging quicker. I’m not seeking eternal youth here. I’m just seeking for extended youth.

5. Create a question of your own that you would like to ask regarding this person’s healthy lifestyle. Make sure that the question allows your interviewee to expand on his/her thoughts (not a one word answer).

My own question: What is it that you wish you had done in the past to improve your health? Why? Why didn’t you do it then?
A: I really wish I’d learn how to dance. Seeing as how I’m aging, I really wish I had trained and disciplined my body to my standard. I want to…be healthy at the same time be graceful. I didn’t learn dancing before because I thought…well…I thought it was embarrassing (chuckles).