The Simple Lives We Live
Some of the most extraordinary stories don't come from celebrities, politicians, or history books. They come from everyday people. Your neighbor, your grandmother, the man who runs the corner store, or the woman sitting next to you at church. Everyone has a story worth telling on the simple lives we live.
We sit down with ordinary people to uncover the extraordinary lives they've lived, stories of love and family of loss and heartache of perseverance, joy, and the simple moments that make us who we are. These conversations remind us that life's greatest lessons often come from those we least expect. So please join me each week as we capture voices and memories that deserve to be heard and remembered.
Because the truth is ordinary people live the most extraordinary lives.
The Simple Lives We Live
Pauline Ross
When I was in the 2nd grade, I interviewed my Grandma, Pauline Ross. As you can imagine, the cassette tape was fairly damaged, and for years I had no way of listening back to the interview. The tape has followed me everywhere, and in December, my mother-in-law sent it to be transferred to a USB.
This episode IS that interview!
I may have repeated questions and said "okay, um" after nearly everything she said, but I wanted to share her voice and her stories with others. In this conversation, my grandma talks about her childhood experiences, including memorable moments of ice skating, playing softball, and losing shoes during a picnic. She reminisces about her parents' origins—her mother from Valley City and her father from Russia -- and shares stories about her early marriage at 17, along with her love for hobbies like ceramics and birdwatching. She also talks about her family life, including her four children and ten grandchildren.