Weller 1 My Dad's Happiness Happiness Interview Bethany Weller Professor Beard 9-28-201 I !

hose to interview "y dad for this assi#n"ent$ %he reason why I !hose hi" is &e!a'se he wor(s with a variety of people on a re#'lar &asis$ He !onstantly wor(s with !owor(ers as well as !'sto"ers in his )o& repairin# ele!troni!s on air!raft$ He is also happy a #reat "a)ority of the ti"e* whi!h is so"ethin# that I ad"ire$ He does have his "o"ents when he is not happy* &'t they are few and far &etween$ I interviewed "y dad over the phone$ It wasn+t possi&le for "e to #o ho"e to interview hi"* so over the phone was the ne,t &est option$ %he interview too( pla!e on the afternoon of -'nday the 29th$ When as(ed how he wo'ld define happiness* "y dad too( a while to fi#'re it o't$ His first response was sayin# how diffi!'lt a .'estion it was$ My "o" !hi"ed in in the &a!(#ro'nd* sayin# what she tho'#ht happiness was$ What she said was .'ite si"ple* and "y dad i""ediately a#reed with her* restatin# it so I !o'ld hear$ My parents said that /happiness is when yo' are !o"forta&le and at pea!e with yo'rself$0 Happiness is so"ethin# that every&ody defines differently* and every&ody+s definition is !orre!t$ I really li(e their definition of happiness* and thin( it+s so"ethin# that is !o"pletely tr'e$ I !ontin'ed on with the interview* event'ally as(in# "y dad what &rin#s hi" happiness$ %his is one of the .'estions he answered the .'i!(est$ He told "e that the thin# that &rin#s hi" the "ost happiness is /when others aro'nd 1hi"2 are happy0$ I !ontin'ed to as( hi" if there was anythin# else that "ade hi" happy$ %he ne,t &i##est thin# in his life that &rin#s hi" happiness is when thin#s #o as

Weller 2 planned$ I personally (now that &oth of these thin#s are very tr'e with hi"$ When "y &rothers* "o"* and I are all happy* "y dad s"iles a lot "ore than if one or "ore of 's are 'pset or not in the &est "ood$ I (now that thin#s #oin# as planned "a(es hi" happy too$ He always has to #ive !'sto"ers an esti"ated a"o'nt of ti"e that what they want hi" to do will ta(e$ 3 lot of fa!tors de!ide how lon# a pro)e!t will ta(e hi"* a n'"&er of whi!h he !annot !ontrol4 &e!a'se of this* he isn+t always !orre!t on the date a !'sto"er !an pi!( 'p his airplane$ -o"eti"es a !'sto"er !an pi!( it 'p sooner* other ti"es later$ When he is a&le to finish a )o& .'i!(er than e,pe!ted* he !o"es ho"e fro" wor( s"ilin# and in a really #ood "ood4 &'t* on the )o&s that everythin# #oes wron#* and a )o& ta(es lon#er than he anti!ipated* he !o"es ho"e #ro'!hy and not s"ilin# nearly as "'!h$ %his led "e to "y ne,t .'estion* how do yo' "a(e yo'rself feel &etter when yo' are 'nhappy5 My dad replied that he /)'st tries to re"ove or solve the pro&le" or sit'ation that is "a(in# 1hi"2 'nhappy0$ When he is in the sit'ation of an event at wor( not #oin# the way he wanted* he does his &est not to &rin# it ho"e with hi"$ He tries to leave the &ad thin#s that happen at wor(* at wor($ I &elieve that this is so"ethin# that every&ody sho'ld atte"pt to do* as it wor(s very well$ When so"ethin# 'ne,pe!ted happens when he+s tryin# to fi, so"ethin# aro'nd the ho'se* "y dad never lets it #et to hi" for very lon#$ He fi#'res o't the &est way to fi, it* and does so$ 6nowin# what "ade hi" happy* I as(ed hi" what he tho'#ht "ade other people happy$ His response was /&ein# at a #ood pla!e in their life0$ He fir"ly &elieves that a person is the happiest when thin#s aro'nd the" are #ood$ He thin(s that when a person doesn+t en)oy what they are doin# in their life* or a sit'ation in their life* they !an+t &e happy$ %hat is so"ethin# that I a#ree with$ I pro!eeded to as( hi" if he tho'#ht that people aro'nd hi" are #enerally happy or 'nhappy$ He &elieves that the people he spends the "ost ti"e with are nor"ally happy$ 7&vio'sly* people he !o"es a!ross will so"eti"es &e 'nhappy* &'t nor"ally aren+t$ %he &i##est !ase of &ein# aro'nd 'nhappy people is when he is dealin# with a !'sto"er who he )'st told &ad news to$ 3t ti"es* "ore thin#s are wron# with the

Weller ele!troni!s than what hi" and his e"ployees tho'#ht at first* so "y dad has to deliver the &ad news of the repairs !ostin# "ore than e,pe!ted and ta(in# lon#er to finish$ %his will often "a(e the !'sto"er 'nhappy$ When as(ed a&o't how other people de"onstrate their happiness* "y dad said that happy people si"ply /s"ile and &e friendly0 to hi" and the people aro'nd hi"$ He thin(s that this is the "ost !o""on way of people showin# their happiness* &'t so"e people 'se other "ethods to e,hi&it their happiness$ 3 less !o""on way of people de"onstratin# their happiness is &y their tone of voi!e$ 8ertain people !han#e the tone of their voi!e when they are happy vers's when they are an#ry or 'pset or sad$ My dad &elieves that happiness is so"ethin# e,tre"ely i"portant in life$ When as(ed why* he responded with /I thin( it is healthy0$ In his eyes* happiness is so"ethin# that is essential to every&ody$ It helps (eep every&ody alive and ener#eti!$ He even said that happiness /is so"ethin# that re"oves stress fro" a person+s life0$ It helps people for#et a&o't anythin# &ad that is happenin# to the" at that "o"ent$ My dad also stron#ly &elieves that a!tions affe!t other people+s happiness levels$ 3s he p't it* /if yo' rea!t in a positive "anner* it+s #oin# to r'& off on the people aro'nd yo'0$ Basi!ally* if yo' are happy* it will help the people who yo' intera!t with to &e!o"e happy* and they will share that happiness with the people !lose to the"$ 9ife+s essentially a never endin# !y!le to i"prove every&ody+s happiness level$ I learned a #reat deal of thin#s fro" "y dad than(s to this interview$ I en)oyed seein# how so"eone I a" so !lose to thin(s a&o't happiness$ -o"e of the answers he #ave "e I wo'ld not have tho'#ht too "'!h a&o't$ 9i(e how happiness is healthy$ I never tho'#ht a&o't happiness that way* &'t now that he said that* I !o"pletely a#ree with it$ I learned that every&ody sees happiness differently and different thin#s "a(e people happy$ :ot everyone in the world !an &e!o"e happy &e!a'se of the sa"e thin#$ ;et* everyone !an help other people &e happy$ 9i(e how "y dad p't it* /happiness is !onta#io's0$

Weller < %=3:-8=IP% 1$ How do yo' define happiness5 =eally diffi!'lt .'estion$ >Mo" says it first in &a!(#ro'nd? When yo''re !o"forta&le and at pea!e with yo'rself$@ ;o'r "o" )'st said >a&ove@ and I have to a#ree with that$ I'd say that's a #ood way of definin# it$ 2$ How do people aro'nd yo' de"onstrate their happiness5 Different people show it different ways$ It is 's'ally &y s"ilin# and &ein# friendly$ 7thers &y tone of voi!e$ $ What do yo' thin( "a(es other people happy5 I wo'ld say &ein# at a #ood pla!e in their life$ <$ What "a(es yo' happy5 %he &i##est thin# is when others aro'nd "e are happy too$ 3nythin# else5 I #'ess when thin#s #o as planned$ When thin#s are happen how I i"a#ine the" #oin#$ A$ Why do yo' thin( happiness is i"portant5 I thin( it's healthy$ Ir is so"ethin# that re"oves stress fro" a person's life$ B$ Do yo' thin( people are #enerally happy or 'nhappy5 I wo'ld say that #enerally the people aro'nd "e are happy$ Who are the 'nhappy ones5 8'sto"ers who I have #iven &ad news to$

Weller A C$ How do yo' "a(e yo'rself feel &etter when yo' are 'nhappy5 %ry to re"ove or solve the pro&le" or sit'ation that is "a(in# hi" 'nhappy$ 8$ How do yo'r a!tions affe!t other people+s happiness level5 If yo' rea!t in a positive "anner* it's #oin# to r'& off on the people aro'nd the"$ Happiness is !onta#io's$