My news feed likes to occasionally share with me sensationalized articles like this one: 13 Unbelievable Things People Did to Survive the Great Depression. So, I clicked on it, flipped through the slideshow and too many interstitial ads, and not only got to wondering just how “unbelievable” these actions were, but whether I could do the same if I had to. Let’s go through the claims:
1. People literally ate weeds to survive.
They say that people literally ate dandelions and clover to stave off hunger pangs. My guess is that we’ll see people doing a lot of the same if they get hungry enough. The problem will be that people don’t know what they’re eating and it’s likely that many of these “weeds” will have been sprayed with pesticides and whatnot. I’d say this is a good reason to get one of those wild edible books and figure out what you could possible eat should you need to. Honestly, though I would much rather contact somebody locally who knows what they’re doing.
2. Families turned flour sacks into clothing.
I don’t think we even have flour sacks anymore, do we? But I could imagine people being creative about their clothing options when times get tough. The problem is going to be that much of the clothing we wear just isn’t meant to hold up to real wear and tear. They’re designed to be laundered gently with specially-designed soaps and a tumble dried, not scrubbed on with a brush over a washboard. My guess is that clothing (and those who can make/mend it) will be in high demand as time goes on.
3. People used cardboard to fix worn-out shoes.
Sure, why not. Stuff whatever you can in there because, like clothing, most shoes aren’t meant to be used and abused. Buy boots while you still can.
4. Kids quit school to help their families earn money.
Ha ha! No way our government overlords are going to allow the children to not be brainwashed for any length of time. Oh, wait, I donned my tin foil hat, again. Aside from children pitching in somehow around the house instead of doing whatever else it is they do (mostly wasting their lives online), families will be living together like they used to, which means you’d better start considering just who you might want to live with and, more importantly, who gets the top bunk.
5. People reused every scrap of paper and string.
Reusing items will be trendy again, I promise. But in a society where we’ve been trained to throw everything out and purchase new simply because it’s too much trouble (or too costly, they say) this is going to be a hard lesson for many of us to learn. Even more problematic? Most people don’t have a clue how to fix anything!
6. Some families lived in makeshift “Hoovervilles.”
I don’t know about this. Perhaps some folks will band together in similar ways, but I suspect that most of us will loot and pillage any area that may have something to be looted and pillaged. My advice is to stay away from such places.
7. People bartered goods and services instead of using money.
I’ve mentioned previously that I’ve never been a big fan of bartering, but that’s mostly because I want people to focus on having the items they know they’ll need rather than stockpiling items with the expectation and hope that it will be barterable sometime down the road. That is, don’t go buying cartons of cigarettes, cases of alcohol, and bags of coffee beans and expect that you’ll become the new kingpin of the neighborhood. Focus your money and efforts on the stuff you need, which is, surprisingly enough, the same stuff everyone else needs.
8. Women got creative with meal planning.
If only we will be this lucky! The food that most of us consume has already been prepared somewhere else, by somebody else. Most of us don’t know how to make bread let alone how to substitute ingredients or how to get creative when you don’t have exactly what a recipe calls for. Meals will get bland. Stockpile spices and seasonings.
9. People dug into the earth to grow their own food.
I can only hope most people start doing this again. And precisely how is this “unbelievable,” may I ask? Must have been written by a high-rise city-dweller, lol.
10. Men rode the rails looking for work.
I can absolutely see young men and single folks moving around for work or hopes of a better life somewhere else. Weather will play a major role in migration patterns. I can see the coastlines becoming no place I’d want to be when SHTF.
11. People used newspapers as blankets.
Yup. We’ll be using all sorts of items in unexpected ways.
12. Children played with homemade or found toys.
Sticks and rocks, anyone? It wouldn’t surprise me if children of all ages adjusted to life without electronics and constant entertainment better than most adults. There will be an adjustment period, which is a good reason to have some entertainment options, such as board games and books available, but it will likely be the adults who struggle most.
13. Families rented out rooms—or even just a bed—for extra cash.
All things will be up for reconsideration when it comes to earing money. More importantly, what high-value items do you currently possess that may be of use to others when times get tough? And what items do you own that may be of no value? For example, a tractor or excavator may prove invaluable as people get back to nature, but an electric car may not. A hand grain grinder may prove useful but fancy jewelry may not. This doesn’t mean that some people won’t find the electric car or jewelry as something of interest, but most people won’t. At least, this is my opinion.
What do you think? Are these things “unbelievable” or not? What would you be willing to do?
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