Heros/Villains

Victoria Goluch

Composition 101

McGuire

16 September 2019

The Person Beyond the Post

In today's society, we look onto our social media pages and continuously scroll through endless pictures and posts of people we claim to “truly know”. We acknowledge people by their whereabouts, captions of their most recent posts, and the cheesy grin they spread across their faces. Though we all know the saying “you never know what happens behind closed doors” we regularly define our knowledge of the people we know from behind a phone screen.It is about time we ask ourselves if what we don’t know truly reflects on what we see and interpret on a screen. Today, I start with Patricia Anna Goluch, a mother who was more than excited to tell her story.

Patricia is a forty-five year old woman, who hold a current occupation as an Administrative Assistant for a major transportation company known as Fedex Ground. She raised two children, in which whom she loves and cherishes with her whole heart and is a happily wedded wife to a man who swept her off her feet. The three of them live in the South suburbs of Illinois and wake up everyday knowing they have the luxury of a happy, well kept household environment. Many would come to believe that Trish lives a picture perfect life. Though many do not realize the experiences and challenges that she needed to face to become the wife, mother, and overall person she is today.

On September 8th, 1974 Patricia was born on the Western side of Poland in a town named Wroclaw. She grew up with her mother Jeanette, her older sister Renee, and her father Jerry. Having both parents who loved and adored her, along with a bossy older created a somber balance within her life. Until one day things changed, her environment had filled with arguments and slamming doors. The once happy and supportive home had been taken over by a cloud of endless negativity. Her parents had divorced and a piece of her heart had been torn away. She was now left with a broken mother and angry sister. Her world flipped upside down with the knowledge that nothing was ever going to be the same. A couple months later her family was struck with another turn of sudden events. Marshal Law had taken over her country. With nowhere to turn, eight year old Patricia was being swept away from the only place she called home. Her journey then began in Mürzzuschlag, Austria where she sought out freedom from her lost country. Living in a two bedroom one bathroom flat in the city, her mind was filled with confusion and fear. She had left all her memories behind and truly wasn’t ready for what the unknown future had to hold. Though, the days went by and Patricia was adapting to her new environment, slowly even admitting to enjoy her experience. Thinking back onto the experience she acknowledges the cities beauty along with all the new and humble people that she had met along the way. She lived in her new city for a 2 months until new news fled into her life. Patricia’s mother had been granted sponsorship from a good family friend in the United States. Growing up Trish had often heard rumors about the numerous wonders of the States but had never imagined she would have an opportunity to witness them for herself. In that moment she was ecstatic.

Nevertheless, sadness flooded her emotions once again. She would have to leave the place where she was just starting to adapt to, only to have to start a new life with challenges of its own. A month has passed by and Patricia found herself in the middle of Omaha, Nebraska. Needless to say, she hated it. She expressed how she didn't like being in the middle of nowhere. The big city lights were gone, there was no morning traffic to wake her up, everything was just so bland and boring. But a year later, once again Trish was on her way to a NEW town! This time instead of sadness, she had packed her bags and was ready to hit the road to her next destination.

After moving around the world for what seemed to be forever Patricia found herself in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This when she became a stereo typical cheese head, die hard Packers fan, and she couldn’t have loved it more. She was now twelve years old, starting her first year of middle school with her best friend Darlene. The girls were two peas in a pod with an unbreakable bond. Everyday they took the bus to school only to be excited to go to the local candy shop after the day was over. Years went by, memories were made, and life couldn't be better. A couple months after her twentieth birthday, when life had just started to stabilize, Trish was struck with a tragedy. Her father who she has not heard since the age of eight had passed away. The obvious mixed emotions flooded her brain. The memory of a man who had missed milestones throughout her life, who hasn't reached out to check on her well being, and who had seemed to have forgotten about her, was brought back to life. Should she be upset? Should she have shown signs of grief? Patricia was left confused and in shock. She decided to remember in a positive light. Going back to her childhood memories and letting the positive thoughts of her father pour in.

As time went by, Patricia's life evolved and seemed to have fallen into place. She is 26 years old now. Married to a an who loves her dearly, holding her premature baby girl in her arms. At 36 her family continues to grow as her now healthy eight year old daughter has a baby brother on the way. She had finally put down her roots, and is determined to be the best mother she can be. Even after all of the strain and struggle she has faced within her life Patricia holds a steady and positive lifestyle and is even happy she got to experience the bad early on in her life because she knew only good was to come from that point on.

After having this "interview" with Patricia I asked her if she had anything she'd like to say to the teens/young adults in my generation and for generations to come. She responded with "Live your life! Put down the phone and let yourself experience to good and the gorry. Life is so much more than what the screen has to offer!" She also expresses her feelings towards the importance of communication. Stating " Conversation is so raw and indulging! Who would ever want to pass up a good laugh with a best friend or a "heart to heart" with a parent? Those are the crucial experiences in life that Instagram will NEVER live up to. So go outside and talk, because one day you'll wake up and realize the only thing you have to talk to is Beyoncè's latest post and Idk how far that conversation will take you."

The importance of conversation is truly underrated in society's world today. After experiencing this interview I have realized that there was so much more to Patricia's story that I had ever anticipated. A caption on apost will never come close to being the story behind the person. So get up, meet up with a friend, and start conversing. You never know what truths the story will lead you to.

Work Cited

Goluch, Patricia Personal Interview, 16th September