Interview · South Dakota · April Fallis · OSEU 4
Themes: Kinship & family, Storytelling & oral tradition, Healing & resilience, Values & generosity, Listening & observation, Children & young people
Learn About questions
In most families do moms take care of the girls and dads take care of the boys?
In what way does addition treatment help?
Why is the anniversary day of completing treatment important?
Learn From questions
What was your relationship like with your parents?
Have you ever found yourself dealing with some sort of addiction? If so, how did it affect you?
How do you celebrate or remember important accomplishments?
Transcripts
Feeling New Again April Fallis - OSEU 4
Watch this interview on YouTubeI think the best part of growing up was being raised in the country. I really get mad at mom and dad for correcting us, but now I'm so thankful. The way my mom would correct us, she'd talk with us. I think the only time she put her hands on me was when she pulled me by my ear. By my ear, but that was it. And my dad, that was a different story, him with the boys, because he was always making it really clear to mom, you take care of the girls, I'm going to take care of the boys. So they had their share, too.
But overall, after I was able to work through all of that, everything that happened as a child to where I was when I went to treatment, I was able to put that out and take a look at it. They were there to help me. They prayed with me. I just felt new again that I didn't have anything to hide anymore. I didn't have to escape into alcohol and drugs because I knew that's why I was running to that was because of the things that I'd been doing or all that. So that was a good thing.
My mom and dad, my dad could not believe that I wanted to walk a different way. And my mom was always there, because January 4th is the fourth day of every month that comes up for a sobriety birthday, my mom would call me and congratulate me. So when we lost her, I missed that. But there was another lady that I have a lot of respect for, and her name is Mrs. Winifred Bobe. She's an elder from Pierre. And I worked with her at the shelter for young people, for the adolescent group home. I worked part-time there.
And then I became full-time, she would call me on every fourth day to take mom's place, in that way, in a good way, she'd say. So just recently here, probably, I shouldn't say really recently, probably about a month ago maybe, my kids laugh at me because I don't know how to use Facebook. I have to, as soon as I get a message, then I'll click it. I'll bring everything up. And I saw her there. I saw her name on that chat box. So I clicked on it, and I said, Mrs. Bobe. And we started chatting.
So I see her there every now and then, but I hadn't seen her for a while. And I think I mentioned something to her about that, about the fourth. I hadn't heard that for a long time on the fourth. Every fourth day, she would call me.
Resource text
Learn ABOUT Learn FROM
(deep listening, information) (deep sharing, transformation)
1. In most families do moms takes care of 1. What was your relationship like with
the girls and dads takes care of the your parents?
boys? 2. Have you ever found yourself dealing
2. In what way does addiction treatment with some sort of addiction? If so,
help? how did it affect you?
3. Why is the anniversary day of 3. How do you celebrate or remember
completing treatment important? important accomplishments?
OSEU 4: INTERVIEW WITH APRIL FALLIS
WoLakota Project
From the current WoLakota source page:
Feeling New Again
April Fallis
Transcript
(deep listening, information)
(deep listening, information)
Some indexed text was extracted from scanned material. Check the original source for exact wording and spelling.
Source materials
Supplied transcript document. Text preserved as supplied; spellings and transcription uncertainties have not been corrected.
Additional source transcripts
Feeling New Again
Feeling New Again April Fallis - OSEU 4
I think the best part of growing up was being raised in the country. I really get mad at
mom and dad for correcting us, but now I'm so thankful. The way my mom would correct
us, she'd talk with us. I think the only time she put her hands on me was when she
pulled me by my ear. By my ear, but that was it. And my dad, that was a different story,
him with the boys, because he was always making it really clear to mom, you take care
of the girls, I'm going to take care of the boys. So they had their share, too.
But overall, after I was able to work through all of that, everything that happened as a
child to where I was when I went to treatment, I was able to put that out and take a look
at it. They were there to help me. They prayed with me. I just felt new again that I didn't
have anything to hide anymore. I didn't have to escape into alcohol and drugs because I
knew that's why I was running to that was because of the things that I'd been doing or
all that. So that was a good thing.
My mom and dad, my dad could not believe that I wanted to walk a different way. And
my mom was always there, because January 4th is the fourth day of every month that
comes up for a sobriety birthday, my mom would call me and congratulate me. So when
we lost her, I missed that. But there was another lady that I have a lot of respect for, and
her name is Mrs. Winifred Bobe. She's an elder from Pierre. And I worked with her at
the shelter for young people, for the adolescent group home. I worked part-time there.
And then I became full-time, she would call me on every fourth day to take mom's place,
in that way, in a good way, she'd say. So just recently here, probably, I shouldn't say
really recently, probably about a month ago maybe, my kids laugh at me because I don't
know how to use Facebook. I have to, as soon as I get a message, then I'll click it. I'll
bring everything up. And I saw her there. I saw her name on that chat box. So I clicked
on it, and I said, Mrs. Bobe. And we started chatting.
So I see her there every now and then, but I hadn't seen her for a while. And I think I
mentioned something to her about that, about the fourth. I hadn't heard that for a long
time on the fourth. Every fourth day, she would call me.