Surviving the Great Depression

Surviving the Great Depression: How People Got By The Great Depression, which began with the stock market crash in 1929 and lasted throughout the 1930s, was the most severe economic downturn in modern history. It devastated families, communities, and economies around the world. With unemployment soaring, banks failing, and businesses shuttering, many people struggled to make ends meet. Yet, in the face of such hardship, individuals and families found ways to adapt, survive, and, in some cases, even thrive during this turbulent time. The Economic Fallout Before examining how people coped, it’s important to understand the scale of the Great Depression. Unemployment in the United States peaked at around 25%, while industrial production dropped by nearly half. Families who had once been comfortable now found themselves facing dire circumstances. Many had to adjust their lifestyles, downsize their homes, or even leave urban areas in search of work. The national poverty rate skyrocketed, and the economic crisis touched almost every aspect of daily life. Bartering and Community Support As money became scarce, bartering became a practical solution for many. In rural areas, farmers traded goods like eggs, milk, and vegetables for clothing or tools. In urban settings, neighbors exchanged services, such as childcare for food or repair work in exchange for other items of need. These informal economies allowed people to get by without relying entirely on cash, which was hard to come by. In addition to bartering, strong community bonds played a crucial role. In towns and cities, people formed mutual aid societies, cooperatives, and informal networks to share resources. Churches, schools, and local organizations became central to sustaining communities, offering food, shelter, and emotional support to those who were struggling. In fact, many people got through the Great Depression thanks to these community-centered networks that brought together those with little or no resources to offer mutual assistance. The Rise of the “Hobo” Culture For some, survival meant taking to the roads in search of work. Thousands of men, and occasionally families, became “hobos”—a term for itinerant workers who traveled by freight trains or on foot to find jobs. Hobos often found temporary work in agriculture, construction, or factory labor. While life as a hobo was difficult, it was a necessary survival strategy for those with no other option. The hobo code—symbols used to convey messages about the safety or hostility of a place—became part of the culture of migration and survival. Though many people associate the hobo life with homelessness, it’s important to note that not all who traveled in search of work were destitute. For some, the road was a place to escape the intense pressures of urban poverty, while for others, it was the only means to find work in the face of widespread unemployment. Self-Sufficiency: Farming, Gardening, and Home Production For those fortunate enough to still have access to land, subsistence farming became a lifeline. With food prices soaring, many families turned to growing their own produce to survive. Victory gardens, small plots where families could grow vegetables like tomatoes, beans, and potatoes, were a common sight across the United States. Even urban dwellers with limited space found creative ways to grow food, such as planting in window boxes or using vacant lots. People also learned to make more from less. In many households, there was a resurgence of “make-do” practices, where people would repurpose old clothes, repair shoes, and turn scrap materials into something useful. Homemade food, like bread, preserves, and soups, became staples, as families tried to stretch their limited resources. Craftsmanship, whether repairing appliances or making do with handmade items, became a necessity as people turned away from consumerism. Government Assistance and the New Deal While many people turned to their own resourcefulness, the U.S. government also played a pivotal role in helping people survive the Great Depression. Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the New Deal programs provided jobs, financial relief, and public works projects that aimed to revive the economy. Programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) put young men to work on environmental projects, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) employed millions in public construction and arts projects. Additionally, social programs like Social Security were introduced, providing a safety net for the elderly and disabled. While government aid did not eliminate poverty for all, it did offer a degree of stability and hope to many who were facing the harshest consequences of the Depression. The New Deal also introduced unemployment insurance and bank regulations that would later shape the U.S. economy for decades to come. The Psychological Impact: Resilience and Optimism Perhaps the most enduring aspect of the Great Depression was the resilience of the people who lived through it. For many, the Depression was a time of deep hardship, but it also fostered a sense of solidarity and resourcefulness. People found ways to laugh, celebrate holidays, and take care of one another. Radio programs, movies, and music became a form of escape for families who gathered around the radio in the evening or went to the cinema for a brief respite from their struggles. The phrase “make do and mend” became a popular motto for families who lived through the Depression, reflecting the necessity of getting by with what was available. This attitude of perseverance carried many through, and the lessons learned during this time influenced future generations. Families developed long-lasting habits of thrift, careful planning, and a deep appreciation for the value of community support. Conclusion The Great Depression was a time of unparalleled hardship, but it was also a time of ingenuity, self-reliance, and community solidarity. People survived by relying on one another, bartering, farming, and finding creative solutions to the overwhelming challenges they faced. While the New Deal and other government programs provided important relief, it was the resilience and resourcefulness of ordinary people that defined how they got by. In the end, the experience of the Great Depression shaped not only the lives of those who lived through it but also the course of American society for years to come, influencing everything from social safety nets to attitudes toward work and economic security. The Great Depression stands as a reminder that, even in the darkest times, humanity’s capacity to adapt, endure, and support one another can shine through.

26 Seconds In Heaven

26 Seconds In Heaven There are many things happening around this time. Most of it can drive us mad. We have an invasion at the Southern border bringing with it rape, murder, human trafficking, drugs, and disease. We have an intentionally crippled economy which makes it hard to afford the food to continue on, much less pay our rent and other bills. The shrinking number of corporations and the influx of foreign workers make it increasingly difficult to find a job. We have skyrocketing prices of housing making it near impossible for someone who graduated from high school or college to afford their own place. This is just the beginning of the troubles facing us. What are we to do? No matter what happens in the near future, we must not lose our humanity. We serve a risen savior who has told us to fear not. He is with us. He is victorious. No matter how things look, He is in control. He has our lives in His command. If even death comes to us, we will live with Him in heaven. Now. I hate dying as much as the next person. I have done it and the worst part of dying is the pain. There comes a point, though, where the pain stops and we are lifted up out of our bodies into the heavenly realm. There is no pain there. There isn't even the discomfort of standing on your feet. How do I know this? I was there. I used up most of my 26 seconds right outside the gates of heaven being astonished at how incredibly pain free heaven actually was. The other two seconds I spent wondering when the two other beings who were in front of me were going to finish their unintelligible conversation and notice me so they would move and let me through the gate. Just as I finished that last thought, I was sucked out of heaven back into my body. I don't know why I had to come back to this earthly plane. I didn't get to speak to anyone and I only noticed a few people passing by the gates. I must have been at a side gate because all I could see of heaven was a flat, white field of clouds. I tried to see the streets of gold but I couldn't see them from my viewpoint. To the left I could see a hill of clouds but nothing that was described in the Bible like the mansions or throne of God. I didn't see any long lost relatives either but there was a great peace there and coming back to earth was the last thing on my mind. I was ready to stay there forever. I don't know why God made me come back but if I ever get to go back up there, I'm going to be rude and interrupt the conversation if those two beings are there blocking my way again. I trust that God had a reason for sending me back but the aches and pains of this body almost make me want to find a quick way back up there. I will try to be patient and wait though. I will strive to retain my humanity and love my brothers and sisters as Jesus instructed me to do. After all, this world is but a twinkle of the eye and heaven is eternal.

Thanksgiving 2022

 Thanksgiving 2022

I sit here this Thanksgiving, now that I've given thanks, contemplating on my loved ones who are no longer with us.  I relatively recently lost my mother and my ex-fiancee.  About twenty years before that, I lost my wife of fifteen years.  All were lost close to the holiday season.

It's sort of strange.  You expect it to have an effect on you but I find myself in sort of limbo.  It's not that I don't miss them.  I do.  It's just that I don't feel as though I have suffered a great loss.  Maybe it's because I got a peek at what heaven was like when the doctor accidentally killed me for a short time?  I really don't know.

It could be because I was so grateful to God for giving me a warm place to sleep, food to keep me alive, and a loving family.  I don't know if I have been this thankful before.  The world stage looks like something out of Revelation and our country isn't looking much better.  I wouldn't have believed it possible that my country would sink this low.  Even more shocking is that the people in this country would just let it happen without a fight, yet, here we are.  If only I could awaken and find that it was just a bad dream.  That's not likely to happen though.  It doesn't do any good for me to want freedom for my descendants more than they want it for themselves.  They are the ones who are young and able, not me anymore.  At least they can't say that I didn't warn them.

Is Zuckerberg In League with the Nigerian Scammers?

I was commenting on a friend's Facebook post where a Nigerian scammer was trying to get her to send him a friend request. She told him to get lost and I told her, "Nigerian scammers have no heart." The woman, after all, is elderly and has cancer. For my seemingly mild sentence, I was given a 6 day suspension on Facebook. As far as I know, nothing was done to the Nigerian scammer. Does this indicate that Zuckerberg is in league with the Nigerian scammers? Since when is it wrong to call someone out for trying to scam your friend? Something seems very wrong here.

How to Play the Solo to "Money" by Pink Floyd - David Gilmour Solo Lesson

This is what has been occupying my time.

Is America Dead?

Is America Dead?

It's not that we're physically dead. What died are American ideals and freedom. Americans no longer seem to be able to intelligently disagree with one another without resorting to personal insults. We can no longer intelligently disagree without being "fact checked" by a strongly partisan "'independent' fact checker." We are no longer allowed to express ideas that are different from what the side that wields the power believes. It's killing comedy and it's killing music. I never thought that I would see this happen in America by an American company. It has also started trickling out into "real life." Now, if you disagree with a certain race of people, you become automatically racist and are worthy of death… or worse. In fact, if you disagree with something that seems absolutely nonsensical to you, you are automatically a racist and probably a spy for Putin. Wait! You are definitely a racist and a Nazi and are probably a spy for Putin. You are ESPECIALLY a Nazi if you agree with Donals J. Trump giving Israel back to the Jews. After all, ignorance is strength! Whoops! I used punctuation. Punctuation is also now racist, Nazi, and probably a secret code that transmits messages in code directly to Putin. The new norm is to run all sentences together in one long paragraph. I suspect that using more than one space between words makes you at least suspect and carriage returns probably put you on the direct path to the electric chair or at least put your name on a list for a re-education camp. So, where do we go from here? Considering all things that are occurring: A fence around the White House Riots, burning and looting being called "mostly peaceful protests" A mostly peaceful protest being called a "violent insurrection" Refusal to allow evidence of election tampering to be heard in the courts A clearly unfit leader being installed in the White House It makes you wonder if a larger, hidden group put "1984," "The Animal Farm," and "Fahrenheit 451" together and used them as a playback? Of course, rather than burn books they just put everything on the internet where words can be changed at will. This isn't just occurring on Facebook. It is occurring on the Mount Vernon site where America's first leader's records have been changed. It occurs on Wikipedia if someone doesn't like what they have read. It is occurring all over the internet anywhere public and historical information exists. Gone are the days when people went to libraries to look up information on a subject. There is no need to burn books. They and their librarians are obsolete. Where will this lead? It's not unreasonable to assume that some sort of dictator will be put in place. Of course, it may not be a single man but more likely a corporate "person." Perhaps the corporate "person" will be comprised of members of the boards of all corporations? Or maybe it WILL be a person. Perhaps the Antichrist mentioned in the Bible? Maybe it won't be a person at all. Maybe a machine with advanced Artificial Intelligence? The answers aren't clear at this time. All we know is that something looms on the horizon.

 Goodbye,  America

Unknown Source

What do you have when one party classifies the other party as "domestic terrorists."  That's what we have now.  Nearly half of Americans are suddenly labeled domestic terrorists because we didn't vote for "their guy" and we committed the offence of questioning some highly unusual votes that came in for Biden.  A sitting president was removed from social media and his supporters are being silenced and being kept from communicating with one another on every major social media site.   When a conservative opened a site, Parler, and invited the silenced Trump supporters over, Amazon took away their server because,  evidently now, disagreeing with the Democrats is now "domestic terrorism."  Freedom of speech is now a thing of the past. 

Trump took his evidence to court, and there WAS evidence,  but the courts refused to look at the evidence.   This angered the people who wanted a fair election.   If the Democrats won fair and square,  why do they fear the courts looking at the evidence?

If the election had been proven fair, those who voted for Trump would have been sad but would have accepted that Biden won.   Yeah,  a few overexcited rabble rousers broke a window at the Capitol, one tried to walk off with Nancy Pelosi's podium, and one, *shudder* committed the heinous offence of putting his feet on Pelosi's desk.  Other than that,  I haven't seen evidence of anything else.  Oh, one guy did commit the ignorant act of hurling a fire extinguisher and evidently killed a police officer.  Those who committed VIOLENT acts need to answer for their crimes but I hardly think that putting your feet up on a desk qualifies as violent.   Even so, this is being labeled a "violent act."

The left had BLM protests where there was burning, looting, raping, killing, and turning over cars.  This was labeled "mostly peaceful protesting."  How does what happened at the Capitol even remotely compare to the violence of a BLM protest?  It doesn't but you're being told that it's WORSE than a BLM protest. 

From "1984": "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.  It was their final, most essential command."

This is what is happening in the U.S.  They're telling you to believe the opposite of what you see and hear.  

Biden tells us that he wants unity but orders 25,000 American troops to Washington, D.C. to insure that nobody says that he didn't win the election "fair and square," something that has never been done in America.   Does this sound like any other country?  Yes, communist countries.   Goodbye,  America.   You were great while you lasted.