| Expressing the honor, love, and respect that we feel | | | | of the family had farms, and they shared things they |
| for our mothers was on my mind as I was writing a | | | | didn't have to sell in order to keep from losing their |
| post for my blog, when an add that was blaring forth | | | | farms, which an awful lot of farmers did. |
| on my radio penetrated my rather preoccupied mind. | | | | Now to tie all this back to the radio commercial that |
| It probably wouldn't have even registered with me, | | | | attracted my attention. It was a Mothers Day add |
| except that it struck a cord in my subconscious, that | | | | extolling the virtues of buying your mother 6 |
| this add seemed to violate my sense of values. | | | | chocolate covered strawberries for the unheard of |
| I suppose I'm old fashioned, as I was born in the | | | | bargain price of only $19.99 + shipping and handling. |
| thirties, and was raised during the waning days of the | | | | I was shocked. What ever has happened to our |
| great depression. While I was too young to | | | | sense of values? Here I was working at trying to |
| understand the implications at that time, the realities | | | | provide a really valuable Mothers Day gift at a price |
| of living through those hardships has left an indelible | | | | that would allow me to make a few dollars and still |
| appreciation of values which seems to me to be | | | | provide a reasonable value to my customers, and |
| totally lost on the current generation. In fact that | | | | then there are these adds selling 6 chocolate covered |
| very appreciation of values seems to generate | | | | strawberries for well over $20.00 including the |
| derision today. Just mention saving leftovers and | | | | S&H. that might provide pleasure for probably |
| combining them into another meal, or not buying | | | | less than 20 minutes. That's like a cost of $1.00 |
| anything but the best cuts of meat, and they react | | | | minute. |
| as if they are thinking that it's soon time to put you | | | | The sad thing, to me, is that apparently there are |
| in a home. | | | | plenty of people who are more than willing to spend |
| One of my pet peeves is hearing parents ask their | | | | their money on such self indulgent frills. Would that |
| kids what they want for dinner, and then cooking | | | | their consciences would prompt them to share their |
| each of them what they want. Each eats their | | | | obviously disposable wealth to some worthy charity. |
| preferred items, resulting in volumes of left overs | | | | How do they sleep at night. However, it is their |
| which go into the trash. The other thing is hearing | | | | money, and they have the right to spend it as they |
| "Just taste it. If you don't like it, you don't have to | | | | see fit. If they do not feel moved to contribute to a |
| eat it." My parents put what I was to eat on my | | | | charity, I don't suppose it would occur to them to |
| plate. Just enough was prepared to allow each | | | | give a somewhat less self indulgent gift. Shame on |
| person a decent serving, and you did not get up | | | | our society. |
| from the table until you had eaten what was on your | | | | I don't want to be a dire predictor, but I really won't |
| plate. If you somehow did manage to get away with | | | | be surprised if our grandchildren have to relearn the |
| not eating all that was on your plate, that was what | | | | survival mode of living that prevailed when I was |
| you ate for your next meal. | | | | born. Remember, the roaring 20"s preceded the |
| I realize this practice was largely done out of | | | | great depression. That had been an unprecedented |
| necessity, because at that time I often wondered | | | | era of prosperity. The last 20 or so years have been |
| why the parents always (I didn't know they were | | | | an even greater era of prosperity. |
| pretending) loved the chicken tail, neck, gizzard, and | | | | Remember that things generally follow cycles.The |
| wings. The legs, thighs, and breasts, were always | | | | direction of the current administration in Washington, |
| divided up among the children. Oddly enough, today I | | | | in my opinion, is leading us very rapidly toward |
| am thankful for having lived through that experience, | | | | another economic free fall, and at the same time are |
| because today, while I do have my favorites among | | | | attempting to dismantle the free market system that |
| various foods, I can really enjoy virtually anything | | | | has produced the most successful economy the |
| that someone offers to me to eat. | | | | world has ever known. |
| I also really enjoy trying new foods I've never eaten | | | | Government interference produced the great |
| before. It's such a treat compared to the very | | | | depression, (although you'd never figure that out |
| repetitious fare of mostly potatoes, oatmeal, | | | | from reading our modern history books) and |
| whatever grew well in our garden, and rabbits, | | | | government interference, I fear, will do it again. |
| squirrels, venison or fish that one of the men was | | | | Economies do not grow because of government, but |
| fortunate enough to get. There was also always the | | | | in spite of them. Do your part by providing your |
| steer and hog that our three families always | | | | mother with a gift she can treasure and use for |
| butchered and shared among ourselves. Actually, we | | | | many years to come, not mere minutes. |
| were pretty lucky, as my grandparents on both sides | | | | |