I can remember reading somewhere in a book called - “ The Cades Cove Story “ by A. Randolph Shields - where times were hard enough that Sunday services weren’t even held at the churches.
The economic situation and circumstances had folks too overwhelmed and depressed to go worship.
There were kids that stayed home and quit going to school - because their hands and hard work skills were needed to pick up the slack for another - for one reason or another. Any regular “ get-togethers “ were postponed. Or - the teachers had to be furloughed because the community just could not afford to pay their salary.
Many factors played into sacrifices having to be chosen back then. But when tragedy struck any family - the entire community held fast to each other - refusing to ignore - let go. Despite whatever harsh improvisations they were facing to survive - let one family face any severe grief for any reason - and word of mouth would have the entire community dropping everything and running to help.
The economic situation and circumstances had folks too overwhelmed and depressed to go worship.
There were kids that stayed home and quit going to school - because their hands and hard work skills were needed to pick up the slack for another - for one reason or another. Any regular “ get-togethers “ were postponed. Or - the teachers had to be furloughed because the community just could not afford to pay their salary.
Many factors played into sacrifices having to be chosen back then. But when tragedy struck any family - the entire community held fast to each other - refusing to ignore - let go. Despite whatever harsh improvisations they were facing to survive - let one family face any severe grief for any reason - and word of mouth would have the entire community dropping everything and running to help.
I can only imagine - many faces looking up to the sky and - simply - talking to God out loud - while physically struggling to handle tasks and situations that were not the norm. My heart tells me that was the absolute minimum any of them would settle for in the challenges being dumped on them at that time.
Lately - all around me - I’ve heard folks making comments relating to what could be summed up as a feeling of such heaviness in their hearts.
And we all have different circumstances that constitute different reasons.
Going back 30 years ago - I could say this would be a time when families need to stick together and be there to help each other out.
Unfortunately - this is today. And Capitalism in this country has raped the family unit - and may as well have shredded the remains before it began spreading those pieces all over the country.
It’s impossible for families to - stick together - when so many have been led by the nose to spread all over this country by big corporations - just to keep a job.
All we have are neighbors and coworkers. And nobody trusts anybody - completely - anywhere near as much as we once could.
Lately - all around me - I’ve heard folks making comments relating to what could be summed up as a feeling of such heaviness in their hearts.
And we all have different circumstances that constitute different reasons.
Going back 30 years ago - I could say this would be a time when families need to stick together and be there to help each other out.
Unfortunately - this is today. And Capitalism in this country has raped the family unit - and may as well have shredded the remains before it began spreading those pieces all over the country.
It’s impossible for families to - stick together - when so many have been led by the nose to spread all over this country by big corporations - just to keep a job.
All we have are neighbors and coworkers. And nobody trusts anybody - completely - anywhere near as much as we once could.
We have a neighbor whose family has been in our area for way over 50 years. Never have had a bit of trouble around their property.
For the first time ever - somebody was enjoying almost a whole week of visiting their barns during the night and stealing things.
Everything taken - along with other details shared with me by our neighbor told me one thing. It was an inside job - somebody they knew - somebody that felt very comfortable and confident about having plenty of time to take whatever they wanted.
He couldn’t understand reason behind the things they were taking. But I did the math with no problem. “ You need to go visit the guy at the Scrap Yard. “
Just in case anyone needs to know…
The Scrap Yards require Driver’s Licenses - names and home addresses to accept anything. And they pay by check - not cash.
After the third night - our neighbor put a hunter’s camera in the barn.
My neighbor and Law Enforcement were a day late. Everything sold to the Scrap Yard had already been crushed.
But - “ Idjit “ was arrested the morning after the 4th night.
It was an extended family member.
For the first time ever - somebody was enjoying almost a whole week of visiting their barns during the night and stealing things.
Everything taken - along with other details shared with me by our neighbor told me one thing. It was an inside job - somebody they knew - somebody that felt very comfortable and confident about having plenty of time to take whatever they wanted.
He couldn’t understand reason behind the things they were taking. But I did the math with no problem. “ You need to go visit the guy at the Scrap Yard. “
Just in case anyone needs to know…
The Scrap Yards require Driver’s Licenses - names and home addresses to accept anything. And they pay by check - not cash.
After the third night - our neighbor put a hunter’s camera in the barn.
My neighbor and Law Enforcement were a day late. Everything sold to the Scrap Yard had already been crushed.
But - “ Idjit “ was arrested the morning after the 4th night.
It was an extended family member.
People in the media and elsewhere say - “ Oh, I’ve seen times like these before - and we’ve come out of it just fine. “
That attitude is the very attitude that has created the worst unemployment records ever seen in this nation for generations. And we’re living through it - right now.
Government and The News Media are working diligently to convince us differently.
That attitude is the very attitude that created the nightmare in the number of Home Foreclosures across this whole nation - among an entire list of calamities that have occurred over the past 13 years, in particular.
Considering the fact that our Government refuses to bring the hammer down on the Financial Industry and force Restitution - it kinda makes you feel like somebody was buying time to shuffle and re-deal.
The wheel of Capitalism in this country may be round and turning. But the rubber on that wheel only wears down more - and more - with every mile on rocky roads that it moves across.
It just gets worse and worse - each time - until there’s just no more rubber - at all.
And then what?
That attitude is the very attitude that has created the worst unemployment records ever seen in this nation for generations. And we’re living through it - right now.
Government and The News Media are working diligently to convince us differently.
That attitude is the very attitude that created the nightmare in the number of Home Foreclosures across this whole nation - among an entire list of calamities that have occurred over the past 13 years, in particular.
Considering the fact that our Government refuses to bring the hammer down on the Financial Industry and force Restitution - it kinda makes you feel like somebody was buying time to shuffle and re-deal.
The wheel of Capitalism in this country may be round and turning. But the rubber on that wheel only wears down more - and more - with every mile on rocky roads that it moves across.
It just gets worse and worse - each time - until there’s just no more rubber - at all.
And then what?
Ahhhh, but - will that wheel lose its last layer of rubber in the desert?
At the rate of conscience that our Government has exhibited to us - I can only hear a resounding - “ Yes. “
And will they care?
“ No. “
As far as they're concerned - they’ll be out the door - done all they need to do for going back home and collect a 6-digit pension and really nice medical benefits for the rest of their lives.
They’ll get theirs. That’s all they care about.
Why would any hardworking - honest - considerate and self-respecting soul wanna be in bed with any of ‘em?
At the rate of conscience that our Government has exhibited to us - I can only hear a resounding - “ Yes. “
And will they care?
“ No. “
As far as they're concerned - they’ll be out the door - done all they need to do for going back home and collect a 6-digit pension and really nice medical benefits for the rest of their lives.
They’ll get theirs. That’s all they care about.
Why would any hardworking - honest - considerate and self-respecting soul wanna be in bed with any of ‘em?
This economic situation in our country is - horrible - disgraceful.
With so many of us spread out all over the country and separated from the core of our family units - all we can do is look toward the people standing right near us for leaning upon.
We’re all struggling.
But each of us has talents and strengths that we can share with each other.
With so many of us spread out all over the country and separated from the core of our family units - all we can do is look toward the people standing right near us for leaning upon.
We’re all struggling.
But each of us has talents and strengths that we can share with each other.
And we should all be working towards that Goal - rather than allowing ourselves to become torn to shreds and insane from the cruelty and selfish greed that is - obviously - trying to take everything - from everyone of us.
1 comment:
I'm glad the guy who was stealing from your neighbor got caught...it's so sad that you can't trust even family anymore. I sure don't trust DH's! :(
Times ARE hard these days...hope you are doing ok, and hopefully we will all be able to hang on for as long as it takes for things to turn around...if it ever does.
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