The Depression Years

Two major events had a lasting impact on those who lived in my generation. The great depression of the 1930’s and World War II. The economic depression resulted in mass unemployment, increased suicide and failure of many banks throughout the country. In my adult years I read many articles on the depression and the major impact it had on the lives of many people. Looking back on my early childhood I can’t recall the depression years as being so traumatic. In fact I would not have known that I lived through one of the major depressions in our nation’s history. I now know that my father, a carpenter, was quite often out of work. My mother frequently had to charge the food we ate because of the lack of funds. I’m sure my parents were under tremendous stress but I considered my childhood normal. I didn’t have a lot of toys but neither did all my friends. I was taught to “use it up, wear it out, and make do or do without

It.