Jeff Wood

Jeff Wood is a 49 year old man, working for the city of Marysville within the water company, taking care of 14 head of cattle, and caring for his family. He has a son and wife that live with him, his daughter lives out of state, and his parents live right next door. He has been living in the outskirts of Marysville for his whole life.

He considers his love for cattle just a hobby; “When I was younger, we’d hunt every kinda animal there is, play golf, basketball, baseball, softball, but farming’s about the only thing I’m really interested in.” Farming is his number two in his list of priorities; his number one is his family. When comparing his family with the American Dream he agrees that family tradition plays a role in the American Dream. His thought about the American Dream is “Anything that you work for, I mean, ugh, if you work hard for it and you get it, I think you’ve accomplished a dream.”
Working to accomplish a dream is a goal for most people. Having a family is the most common goal by many people. The one thing Jeff wants to be remembered for is his family; “I love my family.” Working towards a goal like this by doing the best you can with who or what you have. Stay at home moms need lots of support to continue working. Most work at home moms are staying at home to have time with the kids. They start there own businesses that they can run through there home computer. Some husbands can become over powering, by wondering whether the choice that was made is the right one. By the regular paid job or one that’s just starting and the pay won’t be consistent for awhile. While moms try to accomplish their dream, their able to be a mother as well, which helps accomplish the idea of the American Dream? “Anything you do, do it for your family. Anything you do make sure it won’t affect your family or the rest of your life,” advice given by Jeff; to help anyone that wants to be able to follow their dreams, but also find time for your family.(Loh, Moon.)
When asked, how big of a role does family tradition play in the American Dream in your opinion? Jeff’s response was,


“I think family tradition is the American
Dream. I mean, Which, I realize a lot of
people come from different, I mean, in
our family if you want it, you gotta work
for it. So it doesn’t have to be given to
you, I think that gets to be the American
Dream the right to work for what you want.
It doesn’t guarantee you what you want it
guarantees you what you work for.”
Thinking of the American Dream, it is different for each family and person.
With the work ethic that is being pressed today, every parent wants their teen to work. Although some parents believe its better to be a kid then to worry about a job, people are finding out that its better to have a job as a teen. According to Professor’s House’s, a research sites, findings,
“Teens who work tend to develop an
appreciation for all that their parents
have done for them and exactly how good
they have had it, even when their parents
only made marginal incomes. Some teens
resent the fact that they have to work and
feel put upon to grow up faster than they
would prefer.”
In the past teens were to work on farms and help their parents. Today teens are to find their own jobs most cities do not have farms to work on, so teens are finding different part time jobs.
Jeff raised two children a son, and a daughter both turned out to be great adults, Jeff gives the credit to his wife Sherry. Sherry is stated to be his number one motivation in life, he says his kids should be but he can’t, it has to be Sherry. He just wants his family to be happy in the end. Nothing feels better than knowing your family is happy, the last story he tells me, is about the most important lesson he has learned this far into life.

“Family comes first, doesn’t matter how happy anybody else is, just you and happy you are with your family. If your family is miserable;… I really enjoyed truck, but then I came home and sherry wasn’t happy and it didn’t take long after that and I wasn’t happy. Probably cause she wasn’t happy… That’s why I’m pretty much happy to come home here with the kids in and out, that’s all I care about; when the kids are in and out I don’t care about anyone else at all.”

As I was coming to the end, I noticed he had a very sincere look on things in life. I thought he was very concerned with his family and how they turned out to be all grown up. It was very interesting to learn the things he would suggest to young adults.