Journal 8 Raeann

Raeann Eldred

English 1109 MW 10:30-12:30

November 9, 2016

Journal 8: Callings Reading Response

             The active reading for me is going good so far. What I see as the strengths of this book are is the different stories that are told throughout the book. Each story has a purpose for why it is being told and is in the book, Callings. The weaknesses or challenges in the reading are understanding the different jobs the people have in these stories.

            My favorite profile from the readings is the Funeral Director Don Byles 65, talks with his daughter and protégée Mackenzie Byles, 25. This profile is my favorite because it tells of a father daughter bond with the daughter following into the family business. What I noticed and discovered by reading this person’s interview is that funeral directors are an important job while many people see it as a weird and strange career to have. “I work in a funeral home and they thought I was weird…People don’t realize that it’s a 24-7 thing…I’m on call every other night and every other weekend, so I don’t get much freedom” (Isay 61). Funeral directors work 24-7 and are always on call for work. Don and Mackenzie Byles work for their family business Byles Funeral Home which was started in 1904 by Mackenzie’s great grandfather. The Byles Funeral Home is still open today but is now called Byles-MacDougall Funeral Home. It is a fourth-generation family owned and operated funeral home.

            What is attractive about staying in Ohio for me is back home where I live. I live on a farm so I have plenty open land around me and no houses next door to me for miles. The open area and country makes Ohio attractive to me. What might be attractive about moving for work is living somewhere with better weather unlike Ohio weather which is always unexpected. If I had to move to my dream state it would be Arizona because I’ve been there to visit my uncle and I like the scenery and the mountains.

This is my home.