There’s an old saying – what goes round comes back. From fashions to morals to war, it seems everything recycles.
When I was a kid, my paternal grandparents were frugal, even with having enough money to not have to worry, and my not comprehending why when they had enough of it they were still frugal. Now in this era of stealthier times, many of us are feeling the pinch in every direction from rents, taxes, food, and really, basic living. And these flashbacks of the past remind that leaner times are back for many.
When we’re younger we don’t realize, or often, don’t wish to even learn, about the financial struggles of our ancestors that eventually got them to their bountiful lives. We often take for granted the here and now and all we have, without realizing what generations before us endured just to get by, sometimes taking for granted what our generations of family endured to evolve into the lifestyles they lived in today’s world.
My paternal grandfather used to tame my desires of asking for toys by re-telling me stories of his meager beginnings when he first came to Canada, and about how he got a job carrying pails of water up a hill for fifty-cents a day as one of his first jobs after coming to Canada, escaping the pogroms of Russia, trying to teach me that money doesn’t grow on trees and reminding that money is hard-earned. My smart-ass replies to him were usually retorts reminding him we live in modern days now and that he’s living well with his own business and he no longer carries those pails, adding we live in modern times now. He knew well that what did a child know who never lacked for anything, I could feel his unspoken thought. I had no interest in past history then and obviously, I knew no value for a dollar. What did I even know about survival when I’d never had to worry about it.
But as I got older and enjoyed all the modern luxuries of life, it never sank in when I was younger just how far our familiar generations had come, how they survived war and hunger, and how they risked the not knowing of what’s to come but soldiered on with plans to come to a land offering freedom and possibilities for a better future. Sadly, being a somewhat spoiled child, it never dawned on me to think about the old values my grandfather upheld despite his successes. And sadly, until I got much older, I couldn’t fathom and wasn’t interested in my grandparents’ history. How I wish I’d asked more questions as I got older but I grew up with a lot of angst with my grandparents and never felt comfortable around them, which kept me emotionally distanced from them.
It’s funny how life must take effect and we are reminded only then about the past and our familiar generations and how their struggles become more interesting to us only as we age and find our own way into the world, realizing that life can change on a dime and learning that the value of a dollar is very important to surviving and thriving. Sadly, it’s usually only when life doles out harder times that we are reminded about being grateful for the so many things we have and so often take for granted.
DGKayewriter.com 