Velva Dell Brown Character Analysis

She can smile ear to ear, find a way to make pigs fly, and make money grow on trees. She can strike a conversation with anyone and cleverly pass down her wisdom. My neighbor Velva takes me on a journey through her stories and life experiences. With her stories, I learn her life coping skills, and I learn how they improve my life. So, who is Velva? Velva Dell Brown is the five foot seven and 76-year-old woman that has shaped my life. She is my next-door neighbor, friend, and teacher. She’s no celebrity, but she certainly catches my attention. On her head is her scarce, grey hair that she combs forward with her fingernails. Slightly below, she wears stylish brown glasses, but one of her eyelids is shut for some medical reason. From living in Indiana the majority of her life, her skin is paler than most of us southerners. Her clothing style is vibrant and festive. She never misses a chance to wear her favorite color blue or holiday designs. Also, due to her double knee replacement, her feet are spread out in a ‘V’ as she walks. Regardless of her looks, when I see her, she is always smiling. “How do you smile so much?” I ask her. She tells me she remains cheerful even when she’s mad or is having a horrible day. I talk to her here and there for years, and she is always joyful. It rubs off. When I flip on my positive attitude, grueling mountains turn into low slope hills. I can drop my water bottle and groan as usual, but instead I laugh. I laugh a hyena laugh. It soars to the sky so everyone hears. It reminds me of Velva’s laugh. Her happiness is infectious. When she laughs, I want to laugh. I start to realize how you react to an obstacle is how successfully you overcome the obstacle. Now, it could come from the fact that she has so many obstacles in her life that give her mastery to deal with life in a positive attitude. I view life no longer as a challenge, but similar to a bird flying through the air. A bird won’t catch every draft of air and each draft brings uncertainty. Life’s challenges, however, can be met with creativity. My neighbor has a rampant collection of ideas in her head. …show more content…
Since sometimes I lack creativity, I find it wonderful how she exudes it. I listen to her tell me about how to cut the clear plastic off packages to use if there is no glass in a picture frame, how to mix everyday household products to use as cleaning supplies, or how to never have to clean refrigerator shelves by lining them with aluminum foil. I must say the last is pure genius! Now, I consider a wider set of possible solutions when either I am solving a problem or I can’t find a typical solution to a problem. This helps me in my career in technology so I can invent solutions to get computers to work. Am I stereotyping life’s problems when I consider only typical solutions? Yes, and to think of multiple atypical solutions I am freeing my mind of stereotypes. Velva’s favorite saying is that people are like flowers, we come in all different colors, shapes, and sizes, and we are all beautiful. This is how Velva is able to approach random strangers and simply start talking. I approach people easier now because I know we are all humans, we are all on