Language_Lubbock_KP_06172024

This is Kylee Puga. Today is the 17th of June and I'm here in [COMMUNITY NAME] for an interview with one of our community members. Before we began, I like to get the verbal consent for the form that we went over. Could you please say I consent to being interviewed and audio recorded for this study? 

I consent to being interviewed and audio recorded for this study. 

Okay. To get started, can you tell me about how you came to live in this community? 

I was born here [LAUGHS]. I've been here ever since [LAUGHS]. 

Could you tell me a bit more about this community? How would you describe it to someone who doesn't live here? 

Well, [LAUGHS] I think for me, it's a good size, and people are friendly. And um it it has um the conveniences of some of the larger places yet the feel of some of the smaller places. 

How do you think this community has changed throughout your time living here? 

I think it's a lot busier now [LAUGHS]. I think that um a lot more people and a lot more traffic. And but um I guess that's probably about it. I don't know. 

Is there any cultural differences you've seen? 

Ehh well I I guess I keep going back to the busyness I think it used to seem like people were friendlier, because it was smaller. And um but now it's just it's so much busier. Not that it's not friendly. It's just um less personal contact, I guess. 

What would you say are the strengths of this community? 

Gosh all my answers are gonna be the same [LAUGHS]. Uh again, I think that it has things for I think it has conveniences of larger places. And I think it has um still the feel of a smaller place because people are friendly, and the traffic's not near as bad as like Dallas or a bigger place, which is a big plus for me, because I probably wouldn't be driving um. And you can get anywhere you want to go in a short period of time. And I guess people do tend to uh stay here rather than from a small town where they'd move off. 

What would you say are some of the weaknesses of this community? 

Weaknesses? Oh, goodness. Um fixing the roads [LAUGHS]. Some of the roads are terrible with bottles and stuff. Um weaknesses? [SIGHS] I don't know, to be honest. 

Could you tell me about the roles and relationships you have in this community? 

Well, at this point, I have I, I um went to nursing school and I practiced nursing for a short time. But um then I, um we had a family and I've stayed home with the family. And now our kids are grown. And I kept grandkids for a while, and took care of parents until they passed away. And um so I guess mine is just more of a at home type environment. So now I just do for like what I like I eh, my sister has a friend here and she's 84 and her um kids just slipped off. So we kind of hang out a little bit to give her something to do until she she's gonna move in about a month so. 

So what do you do for work? 

[LAUGHS] I stay home [LAUGHS], I guess that that could either be nothing or multifaceted [LAUGHS]. I do whatever is needed [LAUGHS]. I try to help people. That's something that's important to me. And um now I'm trying to do things that I kind of put off like sewing and stuff, which isn't work [LAUGHS]. 

How do you think your connection to this community influence you staying at home like your work at home?  

Eh I think that um it was just always something I wanted to do. And I think [COMMUNITY NAME] made it easier because the cost of living, I guess that would be a bonus, is um lower than many places. Which enabled um me to be able to stay home and we homeschooled and there was a e-a huge and still is probably uh homeschool community to where there was a lot to do. The kids participate in band and um class, you know, foreign language and um sports and so they weren't. There was plenty for them to do even with us homeschooling so. 

Now it might seem repetitive. I like to talk- 

What? 

-more about your work. [LAUGHS] 

[LAUGHS] My answers are repetitive [LAUGHS]. 

Do tell me about how you got into this role like as a stay, stay at home? 

I that's what I always wanted to do. That was important to me. And it turned out my husband umm got a position where he traveled. And so it was very convenient. Like his first um work was he had to go to um Michigan for three weeks of training. And so we were able to pack up and go with him. And like our history classes, and a-we could take along, but we did a like a um living history. As we went, we um studied the landmarks and um stuff on the way because in um that way we visited sites that we had studied and stuff we went. We got to go to Washington DC, we went to uh where we actually got to uh uh the uh [INAUDIBLE] the grounds ground zero, right after it happened. Because our uh times just went with that. And so there was a lot of places we got to see. And travel. 

And how long have you been working as a stay? What does a typical workday look like for you? 

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Can you give examples of like, what it is like what's needed? 

Eh should we go back then or now? Uh now I just I just do what needs to I, you know, like, if there's something m somebody needs to do, then I just do it. It's so it's kind of um maybe planned a few days in advance, but there's um not a whole lot of routine with it. I um I travel with my husband now, occasionally, not all the time. But um so.

Um I guess like if, say, the kids have um one of their children, my children, have one of my grandchildren is sick or something, then I'm able to stay with them, or keep them. And like if um friends need something done, then I'm able to do that. Or if there's uh, I help my husband with projects, and um I don't know if you call it work or not. But that's probably. 

And what does it mean, to be this in your community?  

In my community? Well, I guess I'm available [LAUGHS]. Like I took my parents to all their doctor's appointments and stuff in, which was a treasured time for me to be with them. But also I was able to be involved in their care. And um that was good. And the same thing with grandkids. 

Do you believe it's normalized in [COMMUNITY NAME] to stay at home?  

No, [LAUGHS] I don't think it's normalized anywhere anymore [LAUGHS]. Not by any means. I don't think there's just a whole lot who do. And I I think there's different reasons for that economic, you have to have two incomes to get along these days. And um I think it's just a norm for people to work and which is good, too [LAUGHS]. And probably not your best person. 

As a stay at home? Umm uh let's see [SIGHS] Oh gosh [LAUGHS]. Probably, let's see, let me think I'm trying to remember, Britney was born in '91. So we'll say 90, it was 90 [QUIET, COUNTING YEARS] 34 years [LAUGHS]. 

What aspects of your job bring you the most joy or satisfaction? 

Ah just being able to help. I like that and being available. And I think that it's not repetitive. And uh it's not the same thing every day, which is nice. I can pretty much do most anything. And it gives me lots of variety. 

And what are the biggest challenges you faced with getting [INAUDIBLE]? 

Yea, let's see biggest challenges. Uh sometimes it does get tiring being at home. Um sometimes your house is not as clean because even though you're there to clean it, you're not [LAUGHS]. Depending on how busy is, no I don't know, um challenges ehh. We learned how to um manage money real well [LAUGHS]. In the earlier years now it's a little bit less. Eh I guess that's it I don't know [LAUGHS]. 

I'm curious how did COVID kind of change the way you worked? 

Well, yeah, COVID was a little bit different then because my um mom was actually sick. And so um I ended up um staying with my parents to help my dad with my mom because she couldn't get around very good. And so for us COVID, I know many people had um um deaths and serious sickness. Um for us, not that COVID was good at all, because I don't think it was. But for us, it worked out because um my husband, he normally works away and he um worked from home. And so he was able to um help me with my parents and switch off to where I wasn't there. My sister kind of stay too, but um she wasn't comfortable if anything happened with my mom. So I had to stay even though she was here. And um I had to stay pretty much 24 hours a day, and um overnight, and I slept on the sofa [LAUGHS]. So for us, it worked out because and um the bad thing, the transition was I was keeping grandkids then. And um then I wasn't able to because um I I did on a very limited basis because um I was required to help me- or I wanted to my mom, because um she was she just couldn't um do for herself. So. 

Thank you.  

So I guess that's it [LAUGHS]. 

No that's great, thank you. Now let's talk more about your experiences as a resident of this community.  

Okay.  

For the first set of questions, I'll ead a statement to you and I'd like you to indicate the extent of your agreement with each one. So have you given answer on a scale of one to four where one is completely disagree, two is somewhat disagree, three is somewhat agree, and four is completely agree.  

Okay.  

If you'd like to comment on any of these statements, then please feel free to- 

Okay.  

-further. The first phrase is "I consider myself to be an American". Would you say that you completely disagree, somewhat disagree, somewhat agree, or completely agree?  

Completely agree. 

Do you want to expand on that? 

Uh no, I just [LAUGHS] I'm pleased to be in America and uh. 

Using the same scale, how would you rate the following statement? "I consider myself to be a Texan". 

That true. Yeah, four. 

Which of the following three statements do you agree with most strongly? "I'm an American first and a Texan". Second, "I'm a Texan first and American second". Or "being Texan American are equally important to me". 

Hm either one or three [LAUGHS]. Uh let's go with let's see. Oh, I don't know um that's a hard one. Let's um, I'll say three because they're both very important. 

The next phrase is "to be a true Texan, you must know how to speak English." What would you rate this one using the same scale? 

[SIGHS] Well I don't know, that's hard, because there's different areas of Texas [LAUGHS]. And I think that if you're in the South Texas, it probably wouldn't be as important because you'd be able to function just fine. For the most part. But in other areas, I guess I would say. [SIGHS] All right which  w- w- a- a I-I don't completely agree or completely disagree. And I don't more agree than disagree.  

Neutral? 

Yeah, neutral. I think just neutral. Because I think, again, there's the the diversity, I think is good. Because I think there are areas where it wouldn't be very important at all. I mean, not not important at all, but I think it would be much less important if you're in the southern part where you have a whole different population. And but yet if you're a population where there wasn't um anyway. I don't know.  

How about "to be a true Texan, you must know how to speak Spanish."

Oh I think it's convenient, but I don't think you must kno- [LAUGHS]. But if you lived in the southern part again, it would be very [LAUGHS]. 

So out of one through four? 

Let's see, and one is?  

One is- 

Disagree.  

Yes.

Okay and "did she need to speak" wh- read the sentence again I'm sorry. 

"You must know how to speak Spanish to be a true Texan".  

Okay oh no. Okay um. They're both about the same I guess um. And one is disagree so someone disagree. I'll go with three I guess. I think those are conveniences to know both languages [CHUCKLES] and highly convenient yet, not necessary.  

The next phrase is "in my community, you can do everything you want and get everything you need, even when you don't speak English."

Oh I don't know about that. I think that's probably not so. 

Finally, "in my community life has been pretty stable over the last forty years, things haven't changed much." 

No, that's not true. Um, one. Well, let's do two because um some things have and some things haven't. I may have been off base on the on the language questions because that was strictly for this community or it's for all of Texas? 

It's for Texas.  

Oh okay. I'm good then okay. 

Now I like to hear from you about the community itself. What are some of the things that you have changed in this community to, that have changed in this community during the last few decades?

Okay, last few decades changed um population. Even climate seems like it's hotter but I don't know if it's because I'm older or if it is, but it seems like it's higher. Uh climate, population um I think there's um more diversity in people. I think it probably used to be um predominantly u white and I don't think that necessarily, I think there's a balance now. Uh let's see what else, income. I think it's still, income wise, I think there's probably it's probably um still to where the cost of living is lower, which makes things um easier to attain. Um [CLICKING SOUND IN BACKGROUND] I'm probably missing some huge areas I don't know [LAUGHS]. 

Overall, is this a good community to live in? 

Oh, definitely. Yes. 

What was or is the best part about being a kid or a young person in this community? 

Mmm I would say I think it used to be, I think that has changed actually going back to that question. I think it used to be a relatively safe place and I think now the crime has definitely um gone up with the drugs and whatever else. But um I think there's probably some still, I think there's stuff available to do. Okay, as a kid um I think it's relatively safe but I think less safe than it was or maybe I'm just more aware. Um friendly again. Uh good schools for the most part. Ehm I don't know [LAUGHS]. 

Do you feel that the traditional way of life in this community is going away? 

Hmm traditional way of life. Can you specify what that would be? Or is that like stay home versus working? Or is that like um. 

I assume it's how you think the traditional way of [COMMUNITY NAME] is.  

Mhm. 

So if you want to explain-  

I don't- 

what you believe- 

Yea. 

-that is. 

I don't know because I think I think you're still able to pretty much go which direction you want to. I think it may you may have to work a little harder at whatever it is like to stay at home or something because things. But I think that's probably everywhere, I don't know that that's this just this community. I don't know I think there's still traditional values there. And a-again, it all depends what you call traditional [LAUGHS]. 

What is your favorite sports team? 

Oh,- 

If you have one. 

-yeah, I don't. I am terrible at sports. [LAUGHS] So I don't do, I don't watch them at all [LAUGHS]. 

Did you have to do chores when you were younger?  

Yes [LAUGHS] and so did my children. 

What was the worst?  Oh the worst uh carrying out the trash. I had to carry out the trash [LAUGHS]. Always there was a spider on the fence would wait to jump on me [LAUGHS]. What was a chore you didn't mind so much? 

Oh um. Gosh, I don't know probably. We cleaned house a lot [LAUGHS]. Probably cleaning and dishes. I dried dishes eh all the time. Never graduated to washing um that probably dishes [LAUGHS]. 

Why why would you say that you don't mind that one. Is it easy or? 

It's easy and it doesn't take a lot of mind. And you just kind of do and be done [LAUGHS]. See the job finished [LAUGHS]. 

Did you ever get caught pretending to do a chore but not really doing it? 

Well, oh this is terrible. My dad used to show me how to sweep all the time. And I figured out if you just didn't sweep well, he'd show me how and he'd do [LAUGHS]. I don't know if I got in trouble for it, but I let him show me a lot [LAUGHS]. 

Some people think that it's hard for boys and girls to be friends. What do you think? 

Oh I don't think so, no. I that I think that I don't think so. I didn't have brothers. But yeah, I don't think so. I had as many girlfriends as I had boyfriends [LAUGHS]. 

Did you ever tell a story about another person thinking the other person was not near you, but then turned around and saw that person was standing right next to you? Could you tell me about that if it happened? 

I'm sure it probably has, but I can't [SIGHS] think of one that wasn't a friend. But there was a doctor at the hospital and his son who just always call asking for money. And I was mimicking one night and he walked out of the patient's room. I was like, "Whoops" [LAUGHS], and he didn't say anything he was nice [LAUGHS] I was like "whoops" [LAUGHS]. Because we [LAUGHS] it was so funny it had been so regularly [LAUGHS]. 

A lot of people think of the 1990s as the golden decade of pop music. Do you agree? 

Oh, musics about sports on me. I'm not very good at either one [LAUGHS]. 

Thank you so much for your answers. I really appreciate- you taking the time to talk with me. If you have the time. I just have one last request for you before we conclude our interview.  

[LAUGHS]. Yes, yes.  

One of the overarching research questions through the homeland Texas program was about linguistic changes in Texas. As part of this project a linguistic researchers asking the interview participants read a brief pass passage, which should only take a couple of minutes. It's a short made up story about life in Texas that was created in the 1980s. And since then, egoistic researchers have recorded a few 100 Texans reading it. They use these recordings of samples of people's standard way of speaking, as they tried to track how speech in Texas varies and changes over time. Would you be willing to read it?  

Yes. [LAUGHS]. I'll probably stumble through it [LAUGHS]. I'm not a public Participant [TURNS PRINTED PAGE]. Okay, here we go [TURNS PRINTED PAGE]. Growing up in Texas. I've lived in Texas all my life. I was born in Titus County. And when I was five, we moved to a farm near White House, which is southeast of Tyler. I liked growing up in the country. When my chores were done, I'd ride my horse, climb trees, or hike down to the creek to fish or swim. One time we tied a rope to a limb of a cypress tree, and we had swing out wide over the swimming hole and drop into the water. I pretend to be Tarzan swinging on a vine. In the spring. I'd fly kites and on summer nights we'd catch fireflies but we called them lightning bugs. Once in a while we'd have fights with corn crops or pine cones. In the winter, we'd build a fire in the fireplace and pop popcorn and roast peanuts and pecans. I guess I was a Livewire. When I was 19 I went to work in Dallas at a Firestone Tire store. I didn't like city life. And for a long time I'd go home every chance I got. Mama would always cook my favorite foods fried okra, hoppin john, that's rice, and black eyed peas and pecan pie. We had lots of good times, but going home is not the same now. After daddy died, Mama sold the farm and moved to Tyler. I'd rather be living on a farm right now instead of here in the city. But my wife and kids don't understand me when I gripe about city life and talk about moving to the country. My oldest child says, "Daddy, that's crazy. I'll just die if I had to live on a farm". I almost cried the first time she said that. I know Texas is changing. But I try to make sure we don't lose touch with our roots. While we may live in a city, I want my kids to have a good feeling for the land, have a sense of place, and take pride in being Texans. If they lose our ties to the land, the price of progress is too high. True. Oh is there more? Oh, sorry.  

Thank you c- for contributing your voice to the collection [LAUGHING IN BACKGROUND]. And thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with me today. I really appreciate your time and generosity. If you don't have any other questions or comments, I'll go ahead and stop the recording. 

Yeah, no, I'm good. Thank you. [INAUDIBLE].