My Soapbox

My grandma is painting the outside of her house this week so last night the wife and I drove her around town looking at houses to help her pick out the color.  While we were driving around she told us a very interesting story.  During the Great Depression her father lost his job so they moved to MLM Valley looking for work.  He, his wife and their six kids actually lived in a chicken coop while he looked for a job.  They stayed in the chicken coop until after he found a job and he and his friends had built a house. 

This blog is intended to make people laugh.  Sometimes I mention politics, but it’s usually in jest and my comments shouldn’t be taken seriously.   However, after hearing that story about my great-grandfather I can’t help but get on my soapbox for a bit today.  This isn’t a political message, rather it is more of a reflection of society today and I hope you’ll forgive me.

I can’t help but imagine how difficult it was for my great-grandfather, his wife and his children to humble themselves and do what they needed to do in order to survive.  I don’t know how they felt as they interacted with their peers during those circumstances but I’m sure it was difficult.  Maybe people understood the gravity of the times and knew that everyone had to do the best they could to get by. Maybe situations like this were common but I don’t know.  I have been out of work before and it affected me more than just financially.  As bad as things may have been, I always had a house to live in and food on the table.  I can only imagine the pressure he felt, the disappointment, the enormous responsibility of struggling to provide for his family, likely even embarrassment to be living where he was living. 

Do me a favor today.  Turn on the radio and listen to the commercials.  I’m constantly surprised at how many companies are advertising their services to help people eliminate mortgages, credit card debt and taxes they accrued by their own fee will with no consequences.  Yes, I understand that banks and other lending institutions were bailed out by the government and we would all like some of that to be passed on to us.  I’m as guilty as anyone else of spending beyond my means, living paycheck to paycheck and suffering the consequences.  My grandfather would be shocked, probably disgusted if he saw what I spend my money on. 

Oh, and one other thing….when my great-grandfather passed away at the young age of 42…he was completely debt free.