John He

Professor Creaney

English 21002

18 February 2020

Peer Interview: Story of Geralis Garcia

“My dog saved my life” said Geralis Garcia, during a personal interview. Geralis, 18 years old, is a freshman attending the City College of New York. She comes from a Dominican background but was born in Manhattan. With a business major in mind, her future goals include being financially stable via building a business, as well as buying a house and supporting a family. Although these were her goals, she was clueless in her approach to reach her future goals. During the interview with Geralis, she described herself as an antisocial and shy person. Being an introvert, she prefers indoor activities such as playing video games and listening to music while being dissuaded from outdoor activities like sports. Despite the unmotivational vibes and introversion that she wants to project, she is very communicative in person. From a personal standpoint, outwardly, she projects a laid back personality and is easy to talk to. When I asked her what clothes she liked to wear, she answered “I wear whatever I find comfortable and how I am perceived doesn’t really bother me”. She was a relatable person I thought, as I found myself similar. Although she is seemingly mature, she is picky when it comes to food; she dislikes eating vegetables. Living her days away, usually at home with her three half siblings, she is seemingly an average person. However, many people do not know about her struggles prior to the adoption of her dog. 

August 2019 signified a great change in Geralis’ life, as it was around that time that a new member joined her family. Happy is a 1 year old puppy that was adopted from the ASPCA organization. Geralis was suffering from depression prior to the introduction of her dog. She did not seem to want to talk much about her depression so I tried not to dig too deep. The companionship of her dog has helped Geralis cope with her depression because it came during a time of struggle, when she needed someone by her side the most. 

With the adoption of her dog, Geralis learned many new responsibilities and experienced growth as a person. Geralis mentions that her dog has helped her deal with her lack of interest and motivation in activities. For Geralis, who usually hates the outdoors, sleeping in during the weekends was not an option anymore. She knows that her dog depends on her, giving her a reason to wake up early in the mornings to go outside and walk her dog. As a part of her routine, she also feeds, wash, and plays with Happy. For Geralis, these are not chores, but entertainment since she enjoys these activities that allow her to bond with her dog. Also, as an added plus, she feels motivation to exercise even though she hates going outside. Taking care of her dog has allowed her to feel mentally comfortable and relaxed. In a sense, her dog has given her a sense of purpose in her everyday mundane life. 

In addition to giving her motivation, Happy has also supported her emotionally. As stated previously, Geralis was going through depression. With Happy by her side, she is able to distract herself from her environment and the things that were going on, which greatly benefitted her. Furthermore, her dog helps her to fall asleep at night. “When I head off to bed with my cute puppy snuggling up to me, I feel calm and at ease”, she mentions. Within her introverted life and situation, Geralis often feels lonely and disconnected. Being the introvert that she is, she does not typically involve herself with others. Her dog helps her to fill in the void of her loneliness. 

Overall, her dog is more than just a pet to her. With all of her experiences with her dog, it is not an exaggeration for her to say that her dog is her best friend. Her life has changed for the better with the relationship between her and Happy. Though she only had Happy for one year, the one year that she was with him was fulfilling for her. Through thick and thin, Geralis and her dog have been together after that fateful day in August 2019. For all types of support, Happy was there for her. To summarize the aforementioned points, anyone can tell that the relationship between Geralis and Happy is important in understanding the impact that Happy has had on Geralis, as slowly but surely, she is changing to fight her against her depression.