My Grandma
An Interview
By Ethan Akhavan
Once a merchandiser and buyer for Sears and a real estate agent, my grandma now helps my mom and dad bring my brothers and me to our inconveniently timed dentist appointments and swim practices. I grew up surrounded by my grandma; being driven around, helping put up her Christmas tree, setting up for a yard sale that nobody showed up to. Since I was a young child, she has taught me so much – from how to tell right from wrong, to how much milk I should put in the mac & cheese I’m making for my brothers, to how to find success in life. My grandma reminds me to be a freer spirit; to do what I want to do and how I want to do it. “My parents always allowed me to do what I wanted to do, not what they wanted me to do,” she told me. I still wonder how I will ever be as wise as my grandma and her 81 years. How I can spend the rest of my life doing what I want, how I want? When I come home from school, stress is high, with quizzes and tests to come, and homework and projects to be done. Then I see my grandma and she takes me to my swim practice, always laughing, always smiling, always in a good mood. I think and I ask myself, how can I be like my grandma?
Tell me about something that you are proud of.
I am very proud of all my children and grandchildren.
What childhood experiences shaped you into who you are?
Being the oldest in my family has shaped me into a leader. I was in charge of four little kids. It helped me learn to make decisions and think clearly about what was good for other people.
Who did you look up to during early, middle, and late adulthood?
Early on, I looked up to my parents. Later on, to some of my teachers at my university.
How did your family and friends change you, your perspective, goals, dreams, or actions?
The members of my family made my perspective of life what it is today. The way my parents brought all of us up helped me to become what I hope is a good person, and a moral person. I tried to have friends who were the same type of people as I was. Because we had the same morals and the same ideas about what we wanted to do, we could get along and have a good time, too. My parents always allowed me to do what I wanted to do, not what they wanted me to do. When I said wanted to be a fashion designer, they told me, go ahead and do it.
What advice do you have for future generations?
Follow your dreams, but also be logical about it. If you want to go and live on the beach all day, that might not work. But if you're interested in the beach, then maybe you could become a scientist and learn about it. Put your dreams towards something useful, and your life will be better.
How are things different today than they were when you were younger?
We did not have all this technology you have, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Back in the day, we didn't have as many barriers in our way. We were allowed to leave in the morning and run around the neighborhood; we didn't feel scared of getting kidnapped. It wasn't as dangerous. We all felt safe. Nowadays, there are so many things that you have to be fearful of logically, and that limits what you can do.
What are your concerns for this next generation?
With as much technology as you have to make a success of yourself, it’s easy to get stuck in the fun parts of it; to not move along and not realize that there are so many important things you can't find on your phones or laptops. I hope people of your generation can find a way to live life and experiment.
