History becomes the most "alive" to us when we can connect with it. When we feel it.
One of the best ways to get into that mindset is to read stories from people who experienced major events of our time.
This week, visit this website. This site is filled with quotes from survivors of the Great Depression.
Read through all the quotes. For the comment section. discuss the quotes/stories that stood out to you the most? Can you relate to these people, or do we have it so much better than they did?
Remember, you lose points if the blog is not at least 200 words.
Eating was different in those days, too. We didn’t come to a table and complain because the food wasn’t what we liked. There were not many choices. We ate or went without. Some days bread and gravy tasted very good.”
ReplyDelete– Maxine Bartelt, age 85, Columbus
This girl talked about how no one complained because they were thankful for the food that they had and they took what they could get. This is different from today because we literally complain about anything and everything. And I especially know this because I live with Mack and he's really picky. But now we have all that we could ask for and we still turn our noses up at it.
“We grew corn, popcorn, potatoes, tomatoes on one acre garden. We ate a lot of popcorn for dinner the first few years”
– Don Trietsch, age 89, Centerville
Again, they did what they could to get by and they took advantage of all they had. They worked hard for their food and if they didn't work, they went hungry.
Later, a friend I worked with said in the Depression he rode the rails and stopped to eat vegetables out of a garden. The owner said he would shoot him if he didn’t stop. My friend said ‘go ahead,’ as he was that hungry. ”
– James Randolph, Columbus
The people were so desperate for food they risked their lives to get it. Now it's easy for us to just go to Bi lot and get what we need, they had to work hard and steal for it.
During the winter, we disconnected the refrigerator to save electricity and kept spoilable food in a window ‘icebox.’ You opened the window to put food in, and then closed the window to keep it cold. We didn’t have freezers then yet.”
– Thomas Rosmarin, age 85, Columbus
They were thrifty. They worked with what they had to get by. They stored food in the cold and made clothes from feedsacks. Granted it wasn't the most fashionable thing they could've worn but it's all they had and they were thankful for it. (359)
Often times in modern day America we don't think about how we have the food on our plate or a quencher of thirst filled in our glass. Back during the Great Depression these times weren't easy and everyone needed to think about what they ate and how they rationed it just to survive. These quotes show a primary account of how these people had to survive and the struggles they went through. Although we may not fully understand how it was like to live during the Great Depression, these quotes that were recorded should be treasured in a sense to catch a glimpse of how it was.
ReplyDelete[Patarica LeMay Hauger]
This woman was 81 years old and from Meigs county. Her account of life during the Great Depression may not be what others expect, I'd personally agree with how she went about it. Patarica said "We helped our neighbors and they in turn helped you". I think this is powerful since people were most likely selfish during the Great Depression, but people found that helping others would get them far. It's not what I expected since she said everyone helped each other, which is something you don't see as often today.
I think we can learn a lot from Patarica alone and this shows just how significant even one quote from this time is. All the other people are just as important and this is only one, but vital glimpse into the past.
(243)
Every day of the week, month, year we always want to keep moving forward and not to look back and reflect on the past we don't need to dwell on it but we do need to learn from it and try to get better each and every day. Think of the Great Depression we don't even has of a little bit close to how much suffering they were going through at that period and time in our country. "Thomas rosmain, "During the winter we disconnected the refrigerator to save electricity and kept spoiled food in a window icebox. You opens the window to put it in then close the window to keep it cold". Charles warrick, "we had no cellar store our canned food in and my dad would make a place in he garden where he would pile up straw and hay. He would put the vegetables in a pile then he would put a straw on them. Then he would put a burlack sack and old coats on top of that. He would cover it all with some oil in the winter he could dig in it and keep the vegetables very wet ". This shows how very greatful and appreciative we need to be as a nation
ReplyDelete210 words
Dean Bailey was 82 years old. What she talked about was how the food was. They didn't always get what they wanted to eat but they never sat down to eat and said i don't like this or i want something different, they just ate it. As compared to now kids won't be grateful for what they have to eat and the don't realize that there are people in the world who don't always get to eat so we need to be grateful for the food no matter what it may be.
ReplyDeletePatricia Hauger is 81 years old. She lived during the time as only a little child. She never had the best christmas or got the best things but she understood. Now as she looks at our generation she talks about how spoiled we are, and believe me we are. She talks about our parents wanting us to have it better than they did but that doesn't mean we should get everything we want. So looking at these two and many other quotes. I think we had it way better than people living back then by far, not even close. We get spoon fed while even the kids had to work and support their family not to long ago. (210)
Marty Bryan, age 82, Columbus- story stood out to me because said he ate beans 3 times a day 7 days a week at the age of 4 and he was grateful to have the ability to eat instead of complaining about eating the same way all the time which I know many people today would do.-58 words
ReplyDeletePauline Bandzk, age 91, Hubbard-this story stood out to me because the kids back then obviously didn't get technology like we have now but during the depression they had to keep passing down the same books and she had to erase all the former marks and tape up the books so that more people could use the books-62 words
Thomas Rosmarin, age 85, Columbus- this story stood out to me because they had to conserve both food and energy/electricity so they would take the things that needed to be refrigerated and during the winter they would stick them out a window to keep them cold to save money-49 words
Patarica LeMay Hauger, age 81, Meigs County- this story stood out to me because it really made me think about being a true American and caring and helping out your neighbors she talked about how it was a kind of a buddy system, the ol' you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. -53 words
212 total words
Times during the great depression were very different than today. They did not have the kind of luxuries that we have today but they did have other stuff like food but not stuff like refrigerators, because they had to unplug those and use an ice box instead. On one account this guy was on a railroad and came across a garden and started eating and they owner said get out before i shoot and he said go ahead shoot me. In another they recounted not having the money for a sewing machine they said no and no and no so after a failed sales pitch he said here have a free trial so the mom stayed up for three days mending all there clothes and on the third day the guy came back and she gave him the sewing machine and said she hadn't changed her mind and the man had no idea how much she used it. There was one that i remember that there was a situation for watching out for your neighbors and if you watched out for your neighbors then they watch out for you. Another that interested me was the when the specific person had popcorn for breakfast lunch and dinner.(204 word)
ReplyDeleteOne of the stories that stuck out to me the most was the one by Marty Bryan age 85 from Columbus. Her story was about how when they got to the dinner table they didn't complain about the food or what was for dinner. There weren't many check of what to eat so they ate what they had and didn't complain. I think that relates to us today in the way that if our parents cook dinner and we complain about what's for dinner but we don't think like other people don't even get near as much food as we do and we should be more grateful for what we have. Another story that I found interesting was Pauline Bandzk age 91 from Hubbard. His story talked about the school life and how they never got new books and school supplies he said all they got were used books and at the end of the school year they would all get a new book, scotch tape, and an eraser. 203
ReplyDeleteIn today's day and age, we complain and groan over having to sit in a drive thru line for too long while waiting on hot food to arrive to us. We live in a world of "here and now". We have no patience, and have no remorse over it either. But in that time, people got lucky if the had enough money to spare for food. Marilyn Markle's quote about her mother and the hot dog stand really stood out to me. All she wanted was to share a hot dog with her husband, for what seems like a small price. But to them, it was impossible. We also complain about how we can never find clothes in our size, or that we encounter a rude employee at a clothing store, but people then were lucky if they got a single new shirt, which in most instances wasn't even new. Mildred Redman's quote about the door-to-door sewing machine salesman stuck out to me because of her cleverness, but also the practicality of her decision. She did what she had to with the resources and opportunities she had. We are very fortunate to live in a society where we have readily access to everyday items, as well as assistance from others when needed. (212)
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't see how we could relate to this because everything we have is so much better and is not worked for as much as they did. Personally i don't know if some of the people now days could have lived through it or handled it without just breaking down. I know everything in my life I have gotten without any trouble and I don't say this to brag or anything it's just how much people are blessed now days. If we want it we simply go to the store and get it or go online and buy it. Also with the education there were about 25 students and one teacher taught all the different grades at the same time and only got 800 very 8 months plus 5 for being her own janitor. Now we go to school we have a different teacher for every class and grades are split up and we still complain. If they had the chance we had now they would kill for it. Also one of the quotes that stuck on to me was a lady smelling a hotdog stand and wanted it so bad and now she lives later on in her life and she has any food she wants steak and everything else but she said sometimes she wished she was enthusiastic about that as she was about that hot dog. Many times we just become so use to it and don't understand we are blessed. (245)
ReplyDeleteMaxine's Bartelt talked about how people usually didn't complain about the food that was provided. There usually wasn't a lot of choices so you just ate whatever everyone else did. Marty Bryan discussed that at the age of 4, he remebered eating beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He was grateful though, because many people went without food at all. James Randolph describes one of his friends that was eating vegetables from someone's garden. The owner threatened to shoot his friend if he didn't stop, but his friend said "go ahead" because of how hungry he was. Don Tritsch explained how he and his family grew many things in their garden. The ate popcorn for dinner for many years. It's crazy to think that we will go to the movies and pay $5 for a bucket of popcorn as a snack, when back then, people relied on it for a meal. Lester Baiman said that it was so hot and uncomfortable to sleep upstairs so he would sleep on the front lawn instead. I don't think that I can relate to these people all because I realize how good I have things. I never have to worry about being fed or having snacks when I'm hungry. Having air conditioning and a shower is something that many of those people didn't have. It makes me realize how many people, including myself, complain about the smallest things, not even understanding how good so many Americans have it. (245 words)
ReplyDeletemaxine barlet was talking about how every one was happy that they were eating because some people did with out lots of times back then. i men's how would you feel if your family ate the same thing 3 times a day 7 days for months on end.
ReplyDeleteMarty Bryan rembered eating beans for breakfast lunch and dinner because that's was all they had but he was super thank ful because that was more then some people had.
James Randolph depicts this era perfectly when he said his friend told the farmer that was going to shoot him for eating from his garden that he can go right ahead and pull the trigger because he was that hungry and wanted food badly.
Thomas Robinson
they were very good with their hands they could make a lot out of a little they made home made freezers out of a window and kept there food good three the winter that way and they conserved electricity and made it less complicated to go through and find the food in the fridge. Most of all they realized back then that it was better to be satisfied with what you have over pushing for more then what u have. They realized to be content and then be happy with the extras. but today it's more lke be satisfied with the extras and disappointed with what you have. (232)
“We grew all our own vegetables. We had our own orchard. We had our own cows, had milk, made our own butter, did a lot of canning. My mother at one time had over 800 jars in the basement of jams, jellies, meat, fruits, vegetables, all these different things. We ate very comfortably because we ate from our own supplies. Many of my classmates did not have families that were well prepared for the difficulties of acquiring food as our family was. Many of them had small gardens or none at all. There were things that we could share, but there was not much more we could do for them.”
ReplyDelete– Dean Bailey, age 82, Lordstown
This hit me because it shows how people would rely and help each other throughout this hard time in America. Mr. Bailey shares as well that even though there were things that were able to be shared, there still wasn't much they could do for each other with how little there was. What stood out to me was that it was almost like we as a nation took a huge step back into time as people were going back to the traditional ways of growing food versus having cash to go and just buy food to eat. Everything that they had was very much self made. They would preserve and ration everything. But the biggest part that stood out to me was that he said there were even worse off than him and his family. This just shows how even those who were considered well off weren't even close to that at all during this time (268 words)
One of the quotes that stood out to me was Marilyn Markle's about the hotdogs. It stood out ot me because is made me think about how mudane things to us could have been extremely precious and exiting the them back then. To them, getting something like a hotdog is a privilege, while we could go to the store and buy a 18 pack just because we are feeling peckish. Because the thing are readily available to use, they lose their excitement, and we want more and better things. The saying "People want what they can't have." is very true. I can relate easily because there are things I have wanted before, and it seemed like a huge moment when I got one, but now that the thing is easily accessible, my reaction to getting one is much less excited.
ReplyDeleteAnother one that stuck out to me was a more humorous example, Mildred Redman Dieter's Anecdote about the Sewing machine. This one is funny because how her mother tricked the salesperson, so she could use the sewing machine for free. This also goes to show how desperate they were, and how poor they were. I can reate because that is something I would do in their position. Hey, its free for now, lets make the most of it.
Another Humorous example would be Clark Biddle's telling of the conversation between his mother and the census taker. i'm not sure how I can relate, other then the fact that it is as funny to me as it was to them.
Paula Deatrick Ashton's and Mary Cole's thoughts on then v now are very thought provoking. They didn't have much, and they learned to make do with what they did have. From their point of view, society today is wasteful and indulgent. They see those times as harder, but happier, and many of the other quotes would seem to agree with them, but is this true? Sure, life was rough for them, but we have our own challenges today, challenges that to us, are as difficult and important to them back then. Dispite the fact that we have so much more then they did, we can still learn to be hard workers, and we can still find happiness in small things. If anything, life is better now, we have greater opportunities to better ourselves and greater knowledge to draw upon to learn, technology has vastly broadened our horizons. Since we no longer have to really worry about when we will next ear, or what we will eat next, we are free to dream, and invent and share and persue whatever our passions are.
In theory anyway.
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