History Repeating Itself

I've always loved hearing about how previous generations grew up.  And it is a good thing my grandparents, parents and aunts and uncles are good storytellers, because they've got a lot of stories to tell.

Whether it is a story from my grandpa about his days in the Navy, one from my dearly departed grandmother about growing up in the segregated south, or from my dad about living in Timothy Leary's house during summers in grad school (I am told that Mr. Leary was out of town during these stays...let us hope, shall we?), I generally find something amusing, intriguing or deeply touching in these tales.

But it doesn't necessarily have to be a family member telling the story for it to be a good one.  Today's New York Times article on how people coped during the Great Depression is good evidence of that.  You know when older people say that young people don't truly know what hardship is? Evidently, they're right!