PERSPECTIVE

One of the few things I salvaged from the sale of my parents home and belongings was a diary kept by my grandfather, Harry Hagene.  I have most of two years; 1932 and '33.  He was in his early forties at that time;  my mother was eight and nine years old - Joyce was a toddler.. 

My grandfather was a draftsman, designer.  He did some work for the city of Norwood,  some private work and some teaching in his house.  He was very active playing baseball or softball.  The period covered the time when my grandmother gave birth to a daughter, Patricia Jean, who died.  That was Saturday June 10, 1933.  My grandmothers name was Ann, we all called her Nana, my grandfather referred to her as Hon throughout the diary.

This period was during the Great Depression.  Supposedly, we are now in the worst financial period since that time.  I wonder.  Here is an excerpt from Thursday August 4, 1932.  Note that ( ) his;  [ ] my addition.

@ City Services 8:30 - 11  (in line)  got groceries  (14)  [items]
bread (4)       peas                  sugar
lard               eggs(dozen)       coffee
butter            cocoa                milk (2)
potatoes        onions               tomatoes
bacon            soap 
16+9+15+15+20+15+20+15+15+5+15+25+10+15 = $2.10  
[I'm pretty sure these prices are in order:  four loaves of bread @ 4 cents each, nine cents for lard, two bottles of milk @ 5 cents each.  They splurged on coffee @ 25 cents.]

The startling thing to me is that they had to pay.  What a wise thing to do.  Everything is more dear when we have to pay.  We only really value what we have to work for.

:-)