While researching and writing Colored Whistles, I was constantly amazed by how much our lives have changed in the last 75 years.  Many times I caught myself describing things as simple as sandwiches or underwear (not in the same scene), and I had to step back and rethink how these things looked, felt, and if they even existed.  Times are rough, but before we make too many comparisons of the last few years to the Great Depression, let’s take a look at what Depression folks didn’t have, and what they gave us as a result:

Insured bank deposits
 Food Stamps
Social Security
Anti-Trust laws
Dramatic improvements in access to electricity
A national highway network (not freeways- that was Eisenhower)
Increased telephone communication- on networks that served us well into the Internet age
briefs and elastic bands
The proliferation of electric appliances, automobiles, and infrastructure

In many ways, the Depression defined us almost as much as WWII.  Let’s be thankful this season that while we may be enduring turbulent economic times, if we still have a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, and people who love us, we are indeed blessed.