Worried about today? I look back to feel better.

[CNTX]

When I find myself beset by financial worries--real or imagined--I find it helpful to gather up books, movies, articles, etc., from the 1930's. Reading or watching how people dealt with a time much more difficult than anything I'm facing now not only puts my own problems in perspective, but gives me hope that tough times can be overcome.

The public library usually is a good source.

Some of my favorites are:

Movies like "The Grapes of Wrath," "Places in the Heart," and "Sullivan's Travels";
Memoirs such as "The Worst Hard Time";
Depression-era cookbooks for both their insight into the era and some actual money-saving tips and recipes.

I know it's a good idea to watch or read cheerful things to shake the doldrums, but sometimes I need to remind myself what real hard times are like. The gloom and doom news broadcasts and the constant bombardment of reminders that I need to save a bazillion dollars before Social Security collapses can make me feel like I'm one step away from either the end of the world or a homeless shelter. Sometimes a little history can put things in their proper place.

[kav122]

amen!

I try NOT to listen to the news

[lucille]

The Library of Congress has a great collection of depression era photography too.

My mom was old enough to remember the depression. My grandmother was a widow with a farm and five kids they have some pretty miserable tales of what it was like. My mom is also quite the encyclopedia of survival penny pinching.

[Julie Rains]

My parents and in-laws were kids during the Depression. My dad's house and his tricycle were repossessed. Noone could afford to buy his parent's house so they stayed in it (not sure about the legal details there) but to pay the rent (perhaps?), his parents took in boarders. My mother-in-law's dad was a postal worker so her family was one of the few who didn't get hard; apparently they helped others who didn't have as much.

Still, my dad says it bothers him to watch the news and read the news on the Internet, esp. about the global food shortage. I think he hopes for a better world for his grandkids. It is interesting to see that the same worldwide or national experiences can be framed so differently based as much on personality and maybe not so much on what is really happening.

When I was a kid the big fear was Communism; now it's terrorism. Shortages have come and gone. There is always something...not that we shouldn't be concerned about those things but I wonder if dealing with them head-on or just ignoring is the best thing -- probably a mixture of both (deal with it but don't become obsessed so that we ignore other problems).

[jdp]

I look back but only to my own past struggles. I figure if I can make it through the things I have I will always find a way. Helps me remember to count the blessings I have in family and friends too.

[khorrell]

True, true...

I remind myself, and my kids, that we could survive on rice, and that we're blessed to have a solid house and pretty darn regular income.

[uuvbbz]

Good.....Good..

[purplefdu]

I try to avoid the news pretty much myself as well. If its not a puppy hero story or the student graduate of the year I don't want to hear about it.

My parents grew up in the Depression era as well. They both fared pretty well as they already lived on farms and were pretty self-sufficient. My grandmother saved tin foil, string and reused plastic bags until they tore until she died a couple years ago though.

[spencer]

Originally Posted by kav122

amen!

I try NOT to listen to the news

I do the same, as most news are reported to instill fear in the masses. Instead of worrying about the future I work on my business, and this works just fine for me.