I feel like I'm running a race with life lately, and surely we must be getting to the finish line, but it gets more and more difficult to keep going. And it doesn't look like the finish line is in sight yet. In fact it kinda looks like it's been moved further away.
Things get confusing and it's easy to feel disoriented. I'm pretty sure most of you at this point in time, in your own lives, are wondering where you go from here. What comes next, and most pressing, what happens today, right now? We all know the answer: the answer is, I don't know!
It's disorienting to be wondering where your next meal is coming from or how you can pay the bills. Food is a basic, taken for granted necessity. It's starting to look like it might not be taken for granted so much. One of you has lost 25 pounds in the last six weeks, without even trying! Tell that to the diet gurus...it's easy...you just starve. Food prices have gone up enough that now what was costing me $30 is ringing up at $70-80. And it doesn't cover much.
Oh well. I remember that back in the olden days, when I was growing up, my mother would get really disgusted with one of daddy's work buddies. Everyone in the carpool took box lunches to work and one of these guys would frequently take gravy sandwiches. That was all there was, just gravy on bread. That doesn't sound like much to look forward to. Maybe it's even healthier than bologna, who knows? I've heard that people ate a lot of cabbage during the Great Depression because it was cheap. People ate what they could get, what they could afford. And it's rumored, they were thankful to have it. I wonder if we'll get to that point now. I wonder if we can eat the same, boring breakfast everyday. For us, that just might be oatmeal. We're not used to that. It doesn't crunch or have a lot of extra goodies added. It's boring. But it's inexpensive and nutritious, so maybe we'd better start loving it. I don't know what we'll have for dinner. I'm convinced I really do have some kind of burn-out disability when it comes to fixing dinners. Absolutely nothing goes on in my brain enabling me to think of any. I've become severely handicapped. Maybe bread and gravy...and that's an improvement. At least I thought of that much, but it's only one option. Maybe it will be corn flakes and water. I remember that the neighbor kids were getting that for dinner when we lived in university housing. It was never a believeable story until now.
Okay, I'm not starving...yet. I'm just a bit nervous about finishing this week and getting to the next paycheck. I am very thankful to be able to expect a next payday. But what about the ones who don't have a payday coming, or the ones who can't make their rent? Food or rent? Tough choice. I guess tightening one's belt is easier if your pants are falling off.
I'm actually wondering if the family shouldn't get together two or three times a week for their bread and gravy. If each group contributed a little bit, we might all have enough. It could stretch the food dollars a bit and help out. Maybe I could afford the gravy and you could bring some bread. Would sharing make our burdon lighter? Would it be worth the effort? Think about it. We could start a week from today...Friday....Up until then, I'm broke.
And just FYI...this is not a distress or alarm post. I'm fine so don't get the idea I'm putting this out as a cry for help. Contrair. I'm worrying about you... all of you. You know how it is. Things are getting tough. Some of us are getting hungry.
P S How do you spell burdon??? burden???? It looks funny up there.
6 years ago
4 comments:
We are on the same wave length here. I just finished a book about WW2, and it caused me to ponder the absolute wonder of having enough to eat. Never mind the rest of the stuff we don't need. Food is a must and being without it is traumatic. Next is being warm and dry (shelter) and we can all be glad to still have homes in which to live. I keep thinking those tent cities may get bigger, with the nouveau poor who can't find anyplace else.
George lost his job back in 1990, when all of the children were still at home. It was my worst nightmare. And I have got to say that it took me three months to realize that if he wasn't working, I had a babysitter during the day. We ate free bread from the senior shelter and it was humbling. By the end of a year, we all hated day old donuts. We got free lunches at school and I told the kids to drink milk there. We qualified for WA Basic Health Insurance. Can you imagine that we insured all 12 of us for $25 a month! That was huge. When I got a letter saying the kids qualified for a coupon, I sat and grieved that we needed that kind of help. Then I reminded myself that was pride talking and I humbly accepted.
In the summer, my friend who had a boyfriend who worked at the dairy, brought up a freezer box full of ice cream bars. It filled our big upright freezer. I told the children they could eat as many as they wanted, and I was so thankful for that blessing.
Sometimes when we think about these calamities, we forget the blessings that come unexpectedly. There were a lot of times I got great stuff at the thrift store, brought it home, and my children all took what they wanted and wore it. They were good kids and didn't complain.
One more thing. . . maybe the whole world needs to expect less. I remember grandma saying she got an orange and a piece of hard candy for Christmas and she sucked on the piece of candy a little every day and made it last as long as possible. And she thought that was normal. Our normal is too grand, I fear.
hI..I agree with you. We need to know that enough can be plenty. Sometimes I'm thankful that my parents didn't have lots of money. We economized in a lot of ways, so it's not all new to me. That makes it easier to cope.
We aren't really bad off right now, but I worry things can get worse. All of us are short on money and naturally I want to rescue all of them. Maybe that doesn't make a good role model. Well, we'll be alright. I'm not scared, just a little worried. Does that make sense?
I read your post the other day but didn't have a hand to type with. It's scary. Hunger hurts and seems to be accompanied by a fear even when you KNOW your next meal is coming. My situation has been quite humbling. I'm afraid I still am not humble enough! I'm trying to learn what I can here. It's scary too when even my parents seem to be looking at hard times! It's such a comfort to have good parents who have enough to help with.
Anyway, I really like Judie's comments. It helps to know people live through it or something. We can learn, we can be blessed. That's hopeful! And by talking to some people I've come to realize that some of these helps REALLY are blessings- the way God blesses us and the way we are a righteous people (by helping the poor). Take a deep breath...
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