Friday, April 19, 2024
No doubt 2020 and 2021 have been historic years of upheaval and change, but 92 years ago, there was a dramatic event which changed the course of the world and left an impact that still remains — the Great Crash of 1929.
My maternal great-grandmother and my paternal grandmother were both 21 when the stock market of the New York Stock Exchange tumbled, billions of dollars were wiped out and many people lost their fortunes and their livelihood either that day or over the coming months and years.
Those were hard times in America, and the nation suffered greatly. The impact was tragic and significant around the world, as people lost their economic security, and in some places, authoritarian governments rose partly in response to all the uncertainty.
Things were a mess, but that didn't mean that everything was completely bad for everyone. No doubt times were tough, but people pulled together in much of America to get through those times. If the majority of the 1920s seemed to be a celebration of excess and frivolous things, this shock to the system helped people to realize what was important and what was merely a flash in the pan.
I learned lessons of the importance of not being wasteful from my great-grandmother, and also of the need to maintain some sort of reserves because you never know when times will get tough. When things are going well, it can be pretty difficult to remember that the easy times can end in an instant.
For those of us who have endured 2008 and now 2020, it's much easier to see that life can change quickly, and in the middle of all the swirling uncertainty, it can be easy to become overwhelmed.
But faith and resolve displayed by the generations that came before us helped them get through the tough times, and they offer us encouragement as well.
Just like there are seasons during the calendar year, there are cycles in our lives and in our world. Lessons passed down from generation to generation are important and can guide us through the sometimes stormy seas of life.
There is great value in learning from the experiences of those who have gone before us, from their successes, as well as their failures, and in keeping our faith no matter what challenges we face. That's what got our ancestors through, and it's what will help us persevere and allow us to offer our insight to future generations as well.
It's your turn, Lu.
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When it comes to what really matters, most of us dogs -- and even cats -- have simple priorities.
Plenty of food, clean water to drink, shelter to help us feel safe and secure, and if we're lucky, people who love us and make us a priority in their lives.
I can't even tell you who my birth parents were, let alone grandparents or great-grandparents. For me, lessons learned are probably from last week, last month or at most, from a few years ago.
We depend on people to take care of us and to teach us, and we are thankful for those who are there for us - in the good times and the tough times.
Jeff Osborne & Tallulah can be reached at jeff@gatesvillemessenger.com
