1. In 1930, 44% of the US population was rural. By 2010, the rural population had dropped to 20%. It is still dropping.
2. Dependency upon the power grid was more moderate than it is today. Power outages were common so families knew how to get by in the dark using candles and oil lamps for light. Many still cooked using a wood stove and had an icebox instead of a refrigerator.
3. Technology as we know it today did not exist. Communication was by mail, radio, and telephone. Home computers, smartphones, texting, and email that are now a part of daily did not exist and did not distract us from the business of living.
4. People took responsibility for their actions and maintained a high moral compass. Most people practiced their religion and regularly went to their place of worship.
5. Being thrifty was a way of life. Most people understood the value of having a budget and living within their means.
6. People were neighborly and participated in potluck dinners and community social events on a regular basis. They learned who to trust and who would watch their back if trouble came to town.
7. Walking, bicycling, and public transportation was used to get from one place to another. There was not the current dependence on automobiles, and the associated cost of fuel, insurance, and maintenance.
8. Wearing clothing and shoes until they were worn out was the norm. If children outgrew their clothing, it was handed down to siblings or the neighbor’s children.
9. People entertained themselves with card games, board games, puzzles, dancing, and other low-cost or no-cost activities. Children played street games such as “kick the can“.
10. Almost everyone had a skill of one type or another. Cooking, sewing, and various home arts were common among the women. Men could do plumbing and construction work, and the entire family tended the garden. Families from the oldest adults down to the youngest children did what they could themselves. If outside workers were called in, it was often on a barter basis.
11. Government aid was considered shameful and avoided if at all possible. Even then, reliance on government assistance was an embarrassment and a solution of the last resort.
12. Children pitched in and helped in any way they could. This was the norm and they did not feel put out when asked to do chores or take on odd jobs.
Relative to today, the following applies:
13. Today we are less dependent upon jobs in factories and on farms. Most workers today sit in offices or perform some sort of service; they do not make “things”.
14. Family farms have all but disappeared in favor of corporate farming conglomerates that not only control the food chain and related distribution systems but also grow unhealthy GMO crops and pesticide-ridden fruit, vegetables, and other food products.
15. The demographic of the middle class, or at least what is left off it, has drastically changed. With exponential increases in the cost of health care, housing, utilities, and food, more families than ever are barely getting by.
16. Baby boomers are either in retirement or getting close, yet retirement savings is at an all-time low. Within that segment alone, the “haves” spent their careers working for companies that had lucrative defined pensions. And the rest? They funded their own retirement through 401Ks, IRAs, and traditional savings. Those nest eggs have been stagnant for years as interest earnings have become all but non-existent. Many retirees or would-be retirees are still working or living at poverty levels.
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