Through the process of these interviews, I came to realize that life a hundred years ago was much simpler than it is today.  I never really gave it much thought but I realized that people spent more time outside enjoying nature and having discussions with family and close friends.  Reading books was also a big part of their lives.  Today, instead of reading a book, people are more likely to watch TV or a movie or go on the computer.  In fact, instead of actually having a conversation with someone, they are more likely to talk to people through Facebook or Skype.  The people that I interviewed had different definitions of art.  My mom’s definition of art was confined to pictures and sculptures in a museum while my friend’s definition included creative expression.  The role models also varied amongst the people I interviewed.  My mom and coach cited role models as those in their profession while my friend talked about her role models coming from the media.  Finally, what makes people happy seems to vary depending on people’s stage in life.  For example, my mom thinks people are happy when others are nice to them, my coach believes that friends and family make one happy while my friend thought that people who are successful in their careers are the most happy people.   

As I considered the responses to my interview questions, I couldn’t help but notice that the responses seemed to vary based on one’s generation.   My friend who is a sophomore in high school is impressionable and takes her role models from a combination of the media and her family.  My coach and mom are both established in their careers.  As a result, their perspectives are a little bit different because of their experiences.  For them, they have met a lot of people many of whom are successful and therefore, they can see that success doesn’t necessarily equal happiness.  Finally, I noticed that all of the people I interviewed find colorful and exciting artwork the most exciting!