Perspective!

[snapshotmiki]

Perspective
“Imagine you were born in 1900. On your 14th birthday, World War I starts, and ends on your 18th birthday. 22 million people perish in that war. Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until your 20th birthday. 50 million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million. On your 29th birthday, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, the World GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill yet. And don’t try to catch your breath. On your 41st birthday, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war. At 50, the Korean War starts. 5 million perish. At 55 the Vietnam War begins and doesn’t end for 20 years. 4 million people perish in that conflict. On your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, should have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening. When you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? When you were a kid in 1985 and didn’t think your 85 year old grandparent understood how hard school was. And how mean that kid in your class was. Yet they survived through everything listed above. Perspective is an amazing art, refined as time goes on, and enlightening like you wouldn’t believe. Let’s try and keep things in perspective."
——
Author unknown

 

Sharing from another board I visit.  Really makes one think!

[Jeepers]

Wow, that does put it in perspective. I think my grandma was born in 1898. I never thought about it that way. I always think of her in the depression era. There was a lot more in her life before that though. 

 

No wonder this generation is soft. 

[Annarchy]

DH’s mom, born in 1930... she was coddled...  Her mom lost her only other child.  MIL was sheltered, in a huge city, by the rest of her family.  She tells stories how her parents worked so hard.  Her Tata, was in WW1, then, worked on the railroad tracks that go from TX to CA.  She stares at me blankly, when I tell about living on a self sustaining 80 acre farm, that didn’t have running water or electric.  
 

Perspective, yeah, life is extremely easy, now days.  

[euphrasyne]

My great-grandmother was born in the 1910s.  She grew up poor in the poorest part of Mississippi, lost one husband to a war and outlived a second, traveled globally and generally lived though a lot.  She used to tell a lot of interesting stories.  My daughter makes 5 generations of female first-born children straight down a maternal line that were alive to take this pic about a decade ago.  She has since passed at age 99, but we will always remember Big Mamaw.  

[The WE2's]

I was born to parents who were both born in the mid 1920's ... and had a step dad that was around until he was 98.  My grandmother on mom's side lived through most of what its mentioned.  I was always very curious and asked lot's of questions about "what was it like?" and have so many memories stored in my mind.  Setting at the feet of our elders gives a lot of insight, if we'll just take time to dig those memories out of their minds...before it's too late.

[Ambergris]

My grandpa was born in 1910.  He didn't talk, and he didn't like remembering.  But people who gathered around him loved to talk, and he was too polite to shut them up.  I spent a lot of time listening.

[Jeepers]

That is such a lovely picture Euphrasyne. Thanks for sharing! You were very blessed to get that picture when you did.