This oral history project was truly a unique look through the history of our society and the barriers women try to get through. We felt a new window opened for women to voice whatever they feel. It's funny how women make up the majority of the population yet make up the minority of the voices that we hear. It felt good to hear someone open up. It makes women feel a little less alone in this world. Arlis was very willing to share her experiences of growing up with us. She faced struggles that in some cases we can all relate to, such as feeling alone when she hit puberty, and other more difficult struggles, like her sexual activity and the consequences she had to face.
One particular story that stuck out was her chicken story. Although the story itself was funny Arlis pointed out that they had to do a lot of work at home and that today kids take a lot of things for granted. This definitely shows the history side of this project. Arlis had to not only go through the emotional age when girls hit puberty but was also expected to pull more than her share at home, something which many kids today know nothing about. Although times are changing girls always seem to come back to the same kinds of challenges, and Arlis and her story made us realize we can overcome the things we face and that we are not alone. This project was a learning experience for everyone in our group. In the beginning it appeared our biggest struggle would be who to interview. Finding someone who is willing to speak up isnt easy, but we ended up having good luck, which made us realize that there are probably many women that both need and want to step forward to share their stories. We learned by just talking about your struggles it can make you stronger and in the future we hope more people will share their stories.
