Lasting Impact of the Great Depression
Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
 
        I am a product of the Great Depression.  Not that I lived through it, but my parents did.  It had a lasting impact on the way they lived their lives and by transference on the way I live mine.  We saved and reused aluminum foil and wax paper.  String was wound onto a large ball for reuse.  Mason jars were reused indefinitely for canning food products as long as a cap with a new ring was used.  We made simple and complex repairs ourselves.  Clothes and other items were handed down from older family members.  The garden provided fresh produce in the summer and canned or frozen foods for the winter.  Meals were sometimes augmented with wild game.  While all these activities helped families get through the Great Depression, for my family and many others they became a way of life that continues through generations to today.  The experience of the Great Depression when there was little cash available taught values of frugality, self-reliance, and perseverance. 
 
        Fortunately, the current economic recession has not had as devastating an impact on people's lives.  Having been a throw-away society for so long, adjusting to a more frugal lifestyle would be difficult for most with many practical impediments.  Packing today is for the most part not intended to be re-used.  Garden plots are available for a limited few in most communities.  Self-reliant living is difficult if not impractical in most urban and suburban settings.
 
        There is potential for savings, however, and it may take grandparents' stories about the Great Depression to start us thinking about how we can live more economically and with less footprint on the Earth.  Combining an interest in being more self-sufficient and more environmentally friendly has great potential.  I have been giving more thought to how I can save money, save energy, survive the recession, and be friendly to the Earth.  I recently cleaned out a chest freezer in the basement and unplugged it.  We no longer need the space nor do we need to add to the demand for electricity.  And there are the obvious:  turn off the lights when you are not in the room; switch to CFL bulbs; repair dripping sink faucets and toilets; seal up cracks around windows and doors.  Other considerations:  do not buy products with excess packaging; buy from the local farmers' markets; reuse or recycle all you can; consolidate your errands into one trip.
 
        Did your parents' or grandparents' experiences with the Great Depression affect the way you live?  Are you being more conserving because of the recession or your concern for the environment?  Share your experiences with me at kenplum@aol.com, and I will pass along selected ideas to others.