The history of the world is created by events, and those happenings are recorded by people as stories are orally passed from one generation to the next. As I wrote 2021 on a paper recently, I thought about the fact that I am a second-generation descendant of history that occurred a hundred years ago! My parents were born in the nineteen twenties, and they told me so many stories. I came along in the sixties with the attitude that the nineteen twenties were ancient.
My dad and mom were babies in 1929 when the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Self reliance was their only means of survival. My grandparents were farmers and grew their own food, but then came the Dirty Thirties when the wind literally blew the soil right off the land. Mechanical tractors replaced horse drawn plows, and Mom’s parents lost their land because they were unable to afford a tractor. Dad’s parents had been share croppers his whole life. The forties arrived. World War II commenced, so my parents’ older brothers left home too fight the war.
My parents suffered years of hard living as children; yet, they became thriving adults. I am fortunate to have their fortitude. They instilled in me a desire for self reliance. I learned to figure things out for myself, and prepare for hard times in the best way possible.
My world has been full of hard times as well; but, I have strength from their teachings and examples. Gratitude is what I feel for the life lessons they gave me through the stories of their lives. Now, I am becoming history as my grandchildren listen to my stories. I only hope that what I pass down will be as beneficial as what I received.
Eclectra 