English 102
Instructor: Richard Samuelson
25 February 2011
Discourse Analysis Write-up #3
BabySteps - A Community Ministry of St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral. Baby Steps, Dec.-Jan. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2011.
For my final discourse analysis write up I decided to look for something that brings all of my other sources together. I’ve talked about the physiological effects a substance using mother may have on her child during prenatal development, then about the bias of mothers with children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), to now exploring the women’s success stories from drugs and alcohol as a parent at the Baby Steps program. Initially I was interested in the overall well being of every mother in the Baby Steps program, and wanted to research families struggles in general with low income. But, to me, it seemed too easy. I tried to think of something personal that I would like to learn more about and sustain a substantial argument without leaving room for offending anyone. I like to give the facts, sometimes I don’t agree with what my sources are saying either, but the truth is much more interesting to me than pleasing myself or frankly the reader. Since I have distant family members that struggle with substance abuse and it has affected their children, I figured this would be a good place to start. On the Baby Steps website I noticed, weeks before I started the program, a link that led to success stories. I took a look and a particular women caught my eye. Now her last name is not given, but Colleen, was a member and now a graduate from the Baby Steps program that sticks around and helps to make Baby Steps a better place for all mothers. There were points in her life when she was detached from her family and homeless and she decided something needed to change for her baby. She joined Baby Steps and within two years her and her partner kept steady jobs, saved up money for their child, and continues to help out at Baby Steps and other non-profit organizations. What I found so inspiring was that colleen had struggled with her teeth rotting, “due to bad decisions made in the past.” And Baby Steps agreed to pay for her to have a new, beautiful smile. This is a great success story and I wanted to share it because I think that any parent can have this kind of success with a little bit of help!
I would really be interested in having an interview with Colleen and asking her about her journey, however, I understand that it may not be my place to pry. So, I will for now leave what I have learned of this women and take my own interpretations of her story. Ironically, I guess you could say that I am being bias, and that’s okay. I’ve enjoyed learning about these mother’s even learning the hard stuff; but it feels good to know that families that struggle with drug and alcohol abuse are not alone. Just down the corner from where I attend school there is a giving program ready to help.
