>>>>>http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/events/rationing.htm
>>>>
>>>>That was a different world, all right.
>>>>
>>>>Both my parents were born in the UK in 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression. Rationing started in the UK in early 1940, both my parents were bombed out of their homes as young children during the war. They married and emigrated to Canada in 1955. Since rationing didn't fully end in the UK until 1954 (vs. 1947 in the US), until they emigrated they had spent basically their entire lives either in the Depression, WWII or under rationing.
>>>>
>>>>Boomers and later generations don't have a clue - they think they're hard done by when they can only buy a 37" big-screen TV instead of a 50".
>>>
>>>My parents were born right around the same time. They have the same characteristic of never feeling safe enough economically. You wonder if there are kids growing up now who will be the same way.
>>
>>You guys have a way of making a guy feel old:) Born: 1938
>
>Same year as my mom. She experienced extreme poverty when young. She also has a very very deep aversion to accepting any government assistance. She is disabled now and still she would rather her kids pay all her medical bills than accept Medicare. We had to insist and still we pay what Medicare doesn't pay (which is a lot). Getting her to file for ssn benefits was like pulling all her teeth except she doesn't have any teeth. She lost those from malnutrition years and years ago.

Many of us from that time period had different degrees of poverty. Some are still there and some climbed out. We never accepted help from anyone.....we wanted to make it on our own.

Joining the military was a way out for many. We learned new trades and we learned there was a different life to be had if you were willing to put in a little extra effort.