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The time period for these children was early 1900s.
For a small
amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900. When you
are 14, World War I starts and ends on your 18th birthday with 22 million
people killed.
Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and
runs until you are 20. Fifty million people die from it in those two years.
Yes, 50 million.
When you're
29, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, global GDP drops 27%.
That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world
economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You aren’t even over the hill
yet.
When you're
41, the United States is fully pulled into WWII. Between your 39th and 45th
birthday, 75 million people perish in the war and the Holocaust kills six
million.
At 52, the Korean War starts, and five million perish.
Approaching
your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the
Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, could well have ended. Great
leaders prevented that from happening.
At 64 the
Vietnam War begins, and it doesn’t end for many years. Four million people die
in that conflict.
As you turn
75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900.
How do you survive all of that? A kid in 1985 didn’t think their 85-year-old
grandparent understood how hard school was. Yet those grandparents (and now
great grandparents) survived through everything listed above.
Perspective
is an amazing art. Let’s try and keep things in perspective. Let’s be smart,
help each other out, and we will get through all of this. In the history of the
world, there has never been a storm that lasted. This too shall pass. - Author
Unknown
What was your reaction when you read this? Did you know any brave people who experienced and survived such a large section of the 20th century?
My grandparents were part of all above. I did not ask them enough questions.
Good advice. We are fighting a war and all we have to do is sit on our butts and watch TV and wear a mask. Big whoop.
ReplyDeleteWell said. We can complain all we want, but that generation got up and did something about what they were experincing.
DeleteWhen you think about it, that was a lot rougher than anything we've experienced in the past forty years.
ReplyDeleteI spent time with my Grandma who was born in 1902, lived to be 92 yrs old. She had seen Model T cars to Moon landings. Lived through WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam. She saw so much.
DeleteI did indeed -- and I just wish that I had asked more questions. I can't begin to imagine what it was like to witness all they saw and experienced.
ReplyDeleteThey went through hardships and came out the other side to talk about those experiences.
DeleteI never knew my grandparents who undoubtedly lived through a lot of this. As indeed my parents did.
ReplyDeletePerspective can be humlling can't it? Many of us living today do not realise just how fortunate we are.
And, as an addition to your chronology of events, communication was MUCH slower and less efficient. Families often simply had no idea what others in their family were going through and if they survived...
That was definitely a factor in how lives were at that time. Telephones were available for only those within towns much of the time until the 30s. Radios opened the world events in the living rooms. That changed many lives.
DeleteExcellent, Sue!
My father has pointed out that he's lived through a great deal, as well. Think about the changes you've seen in your lifetime. We all have.
ReplyDeleteSo true. I wonder what our gr-kids will see?
DeleteThis first photo actually reminds me of my father (born 1912). Yes, their reliance, stoicism even, was remarkable. My parents did not speak of those times and sadly, I didn't ask.
ReplyDeleteI didn't ask enough questions. But I did hear stories they shared with each other.
DeleteIt does give some perspective. I don't think my grandparents would consider those events fondly either. But they did live through most of them.
ReplyDeleteSurviving rough times is darn good.
DeleteMy grandma's only daughter died as a toddler, from a bacterial infection and no antibiotics. The town librarian had a withered arm and leg from polio, as did one of my junior high school teachers. We've come a long way, baby. We don't have much to whine about in comparison to the "olden days."
ReplyDeleteAmen to that! The History of Illnesses that crippled a lot of America would be an interesting class to offer in community colleges.
DeleteThat's an awful lot of death and destruction for one century. And all without air-conditioning too, not to mention other modern conveniences unknown back then.
ReplyDeleteHealth care would be an issue as well. Doctors would be stretched to care for a community.
DeleteYes, what you said at the end. I was thinking I wish I had asked more questions.
ReplyDeleteIt also made me realize that we need to tell our own stories to our own gr-kids.
Delete"In the history of the world, there has never been a storm that lasted. This too shall pass."
ReplyDeleteThis is exceedingly hopeful!
It truly is.
DeleteThank you Susan. Yes, I know people who lived through WWII and their stories make one cry.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I read that there are only 2000 WW2 vets still alive in New Jersey.
DeleteMy parents were born in 03 & 04 and I DID NOT ask enough questions, but I did remember some tales. Searching for work sleeping in barns and cutting firewood for breakfast and raisin a family during the depression. Strange that both Sherry's and My parents were teenagers during the 1918 Pandemic and we never heard a word about it.
ReplyDeleteSome TOUGH people lived during the times you mentioned.
Love from Florida
Sherry & jack
I did truly enjoying the perspective from those eyes.
My grandparents lived on a farm, outside small towns. Did that make the difference? The only story I heard was that one was 17 and helped local doctor care for those who had the flu. She didn't get ill, so he called on her.
DeleteOh that gave me shiver dear Susan
ReplyDeletewhile reading this i felt warm wave rising inside my veins
people like your grand parents lived through most painful times of 19th century indeed
no matter how strong you are it affects your nerve somehow
still i agree perspective is most miraculous magic in this life
Miraculous magic...well said.
DeleteMy grandmother lived from 1908 to 1997 and was never shy about sharing her observations on the world she lived in. To this day, I still wonder what she would think about all that has transpired since. 9/11 would have broken her heart. Trump, too.
ReplyDeleteI wonder that as well. My maternal grandmother was born in 1901, my paternal was born in 1888. What would they have thought about life now? Wow.
DeleteThat was my dad's timeline. He was born in 1905. Incredible events to live through and survive. Makes me think of people who won't even wear a mask, how pathetic is that.
ReplyDeleteIf only those people knew just a bit of history and believed it to be true? Perhaps that would change the sense of being immune to what could happen.
DeleteThat is one great way of looking at it. Putting the ages in there really punches it home.
ReplyDeleteFascinating quote. In the Better Angels of our Nature Stephen Pinker addressed the period of the first part of The Twentieth Century and his it fits into human history. He sees the years 1904 to 1952 as the last of hemoclysms. That is a period in history where the worldwide death rate from war and mass murder skyrockets. The reasons why these things happen, and why they do not happen, is one of Pinker’s major themes.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an excellent book that I would enjoy.
DeleteMawMaw was born in 1901, and lived until 1982. Yes, she saw it all, she survived some tough times. How i wish i had recorded what she told me.
ReplyDeleteOh, same here. But technology in 1992 wasn't that great.
Delete