BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

This Historical perspective is not a cure-all, but it does offer some real insight & wisdom!
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It’s a mess out there now.
It’s hard to discern between what’s a real threat and what is just simple panic and hysteria.

For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900.
On your 14th birthday, World War I starts, and ends on your 18th birthday.
22 million people perish in that war.
Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until your 20th birthday.
50 million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million.

On your 29th birthday, the Great Depression begins.
Unemployment hits 25%, the World GDP drops 27%.
That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy.

When you turn 39, World War II starts.
You aren’t even over the hill yet. And don’t try to catch your breath.

On your 41st birthday, the United States is fully pulled into WWII.

Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war.
Smallpox was epidemic until you were in your 40’s, as it killed 300 million people during your lifetime.

At 50, the Korean War starts. 5 million perish.

From your birth, until you are 55 you dealt with the fear of Polio epidemics each summer.
You experience friends and family contracting polio and being paralyzed and/or die.

At 55 the Vietnam War begins and doesn’t end for 20 years.
4 million people perish in that conflict.

During the Cold War, you lived each day with the fear of nuclear annihilation.

On your 62nd birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War.
Life on our planet, as we know it, almost ended.

When you turn 75, the Vietnam War finally ends.
Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How did they endure all of that?

When you were a kid in 1985, you didn’t think your 85 year old grandparent understood how hard school was.
And how mean that kid in your class was. Yet they survived through everything listed above.

Perspective is an amazing art. Refined and enlightening as time goes on.
Let’s try and keep things in perspective.

Your parents and/or grandparents were called to endure all of the above.

Before you start complaining too loudly remember, all that is asked of you is to,

‘Stay home and sit on your couch’.

CWGordon

BBurns: Well put!

Orson Burleigh Loc: Annapolis, Maryland, USA

My grand-dad, born in 1899, used to say that the 1918 influenza probably saved his life. He had joined the Canadian military at 19, trained as a pilot, and was awaiting transport to France in 1918 when he contracted the flu. The war had ended by the time he recovered. As he got older, he came to believe that the brief, limited training he had been given might not have been sufficient to survive combat. We got to keep him until 1998.

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

My Dad was born in 1900.........

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

My Dad was born in 1919; my Mom was born in 1925. They missed the beginning of the Century, but there is a reason their generation is known as “The Greatest Generation”.

My Mother-in-Law was born after her Mother survived the “Spanish Flu” - but she never knew a truly healthy mother.

repleo Loc: Boston

Past generations have fought wars from trenches, beaches, jungles and deserts. We are only being asked to fight this war from our couches.

rplain1 Loc: Dayton, Oh.

One correction - the depression lasted much longer than four years.

taffthetooth Loc: U.K

I have just watched the Drama documentry called Shackleton's Capatain,on Amazon Prime, we have no idea about hardship and isolation!

arden1939

From the big picture viewpoint, planet earth would be much better off with only 2 or 3 billion humans -- go virus, argh.

St.Mary's

Thank you BBurns

ad9mac

My mom was born 1900. Saw Haley's comet twice. Last time was a dud.
She passed 2002. RIP

wireloose

And this well taken commentary is from the perspective of USA/ Canada, who were the envy of many in Europe who were much worse off, in Russia or Germany, Poland, France or the UK. Millions died from famine, saw their homes destroyed, lost everything in hyperinflation. We have lived through something of a golden age compared to our parents and grandparents.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Two thumbs and big toes up!
I would like to learn if there was so much disharmony during the 1918 pandemic. Maybe there was, given that people seem the same at different times and we scarcely seem able to learn lessons over the long term. But I don't know.

Abo

By that reasoning, because there are those eat "food" found in garbage cans,
you must not complain if you only have fresh bread and water.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

I have heard it said that the Depression was so,ved by Hitler.,This will start a word storm, so fire away.