The other day at work, a WWII Vet shared some memories of his childhood and adolescent years. Even sang me a song he remembered (“I bought my girl gold earrings and it turned her ears green”).
He talked of the hard times, where the country pulled together, as one, for the common effort. When food, gas, and even tires were rationed regardless of status or ability to pay. Of grade school kids carrying old metal to school to add to their classroom scrap pile. The Victory Gardens at his home and school.
He talked about the good times that followed. The changes that made jobs safer for his coal-mining family. The unions that stood up for the worker. A solid, strong middle class.
He wasn’t impressed with the world today. He’s pretty confident that places like Alaska will just melt away. That the environmental damage is unstoppable. Kids aren’t learning the old garden-to-table ways or finding value in hard work. That the middle class is nearly gone, with collapse inevitable. And that everyone’s too busy doing a bunch of nothing when they could be advocating for someone or something.
I hope everyone takes the time this weekend to hear a story from an old-timer. You can read all about history, but it’s more impactful when you hear it from someone who lived it. How can you live a more meaningful life? Maybe, more importantly, how can you help your children find purpose on their own?
Read Part Two for a reminder of why purpose matters and how to impart that to future generations.
Pingback:A Conversation With an Old-Timer, Part 2 | Jessica Elliott