Living in the Great Depression

Living in the great depression – A little background history

As you may have guessed, living in the Great Depression was…well…depressing, for lack of a better word. After the stock market crash in 1929, life dramatically changed for all types of people. Everyone from infants to the elderly was affected during this time. Many children were deprived of an education due to school closure from lack of money, while some were fortunate enough to continue learning from teachers that agreed to be paid close to nothing. Malnutrition was very common in toddlers at an astounding rate of close to 21 percent, according to the New York Health Department. Teens began to feel like a burden to their parents during the Great Depression and chose to “ride the rails” and start their own life, often resulting in a state of jobless starvation.  Farmers living in the Great Depression were hit particularly hard with the value of their crops plummeting, leaving them in a position to barely support their families. Many families lost their homes, and were forced to cram more and more people into each house. Living in the Great Depression taught people many lessons, a lot of which are still being practiced today. People learned to use what they had, which is a lesson that has stuck with many families and even companies to this day. While small farmers suffered while living in the Great Depression, many families took up gardening as a way to supplement their diets with fresh fruits and vegetables. Those living during the Great Depression also learned what a potentially bad idea it was to make purchases on credit, an idea that many people still strongly believe today. Debt was somewhat of a “bad word” during the Great Depression, as debt often led to a financial situation that many people simply could not pull themselves out of. The idea of moving for work likely stemmed from the Great Depression as well. With individuals being so eager and desperate to work, they would simply move on, from city to city, to where the job opportunities were. Many people are still open to this option today, moving often for the sake of work. Living in the Great Depression taught people to always look for a “good deal”. Growing your own food, making your own clothes, or repairing your own commodities, people found a way to limit their spending, while still doing what needed to be done to get by. Another great lesson learned by those living in the Great Depression was sticking together, a lesson that could use some looking back on from the people in today’s society. In tough times, such as the Great Depression, people gain the spirit of helping out. This is the kind of spirit that should be maintained, even when things are going swimmingly. Many people did all they could to help out a neighbor during the Great Depression, whether it be financially, physically, or emotionally. And last but certainly not least, a very important lesson learned during the Great Depression was to not worry, the belief that the glass is always half full. This is a lesson that has, for the most part, carried on to today. It is important to realize that things could always be worse, and they will always get better.

So…although the Great Depression was a terrible time for our country, and living during the Great Depression was likely an indescribable experience, a lot of important lessons were learned that have helped to better our society. I believe it is important to remind ourselves of these lessons, and to appreciate the life we have been given, as it’s certainly a heck of a lot better than living during the Great Depression.