Sami’s memory of one of our father’s many lectures and aphorisms brought back deep memories. Read the full excerpt on the Essays webpage.
“My parents grew up during the Great Depression—a severe worldwide economic depression, 1929-1939 starting on Black Tuesday (October 29th, 1929), a major stock market crash in the United States. There were widespread shortages of everything. Wasting anything became a mortal sin because people often did not know where their next meal was coming from. In 1929, my dad was 7 years old, my mom, 3. So, they spent their entire youth during this period of great severity. It affects you in ways difficult for those of us not having experienced it to truly understand.