What gives you your greatest satisfaction ? For most of us I believe it would be tangible evidence of our contribution to society. That idea came to me as I began reading a book I was sent in the mail. This book, a wonderful collection of letters, ( text messages ) details the life of a lady during the war and shortly after world war two. The historical context is invaluable and gives insight into how life used to be. Not exactly the olden days, it was the generation of my parents, but before a lot of these labor saving devices we use today. Times were tough as the country's resources were dedicated to war, and money was tight. These folks in that book were the folks of my community. I have read familiar names and places on those pages. A close knit community dedicated to one another and to their country. Proud folk. And that is what inspired that thought, they worked hard for what they had and enjoyed that tangible evidence of their contributions. They brought the fish to market, farmed the fields and worked at their trades. What they achieved they achieved with their own two hands and the sweat of their brows. They made do !
That is the biggest satisfaction having struggled and won. Each person was expected to " carry their weight " and contribute. Each person was an integral part of the society. Valued for their contributions these folks preserved. Truly they were the greatest generation. Today I believe we are losing that connection. We have advanced our technology and created a disconnect. Many of the occupations we have today do not give us that sense of accomplishment the folks of the past felt. Sure, I get a paycheck and maybe some accolades, but satisfaction ? How much freedom have I sacrificed, what can I bring home with me ? I can buy distractions and provide the necessities. We are disconnected from the earth however, not knowing wind and weather. We are all just a part of a big machine.
I could go on about this but you have heard it all before. It is the lamentations of modern man. Is it nostalgia that drives this or is it truly something more basic ? I think it is a combination of both. The past can appear romantic when read about in books. The reality is it was tough. Many of us take up " crafting " to gain some measure of satisfaction. Our crafts providing some tangible evidence. I do believe that is what we all want, to have left something of ourselves behind. Passing our knowledge, our trade and traditions, to the next generation is a fulfilling thing. Too many of these trades are being automated in the name of efficiency. Efficiency comes at a cost. Maybe we just have it a little too easy. Too much time to find fault with each other and society in general. More time to fret over what the neighbors are doing instead of focusing on our own backyard.
But, like I said, you have heard this all before. It is ever the same with each succeeding generation. My own generation, the boomers. have had it pretty darn easy. We owe that to the " greatest generation " a generation quickly leaving us. That little book I was so pleased to receive records some of the details of that generation. Those letters complied into a book titled " A gift from the attic " could just as easily been called, text messages from heaven. I haven't finished the book but highly recommend it. There are lesson to be learned from that book. Truly, it is a " gift " to us all.
That is the biggest satisfaction having struggled and won. Each person was expected to " carry their weight " and contribute. Each person was an integral part of the society. Valued for their contributions these folks preserved. Truly they were the greatest generation. Today I believe we are losing that connection. We have advanced our technology and created a disconnect. Many of the occupations we have today do not give us that sense of accomplishment the folks of the past felt. Sure, I get a paycheck and maybe some accolades, but satisfaction ? How much freedom have I sacrificed, what can I bring home with me ? I can buy distractions and provide the necessities. We are disconnected from the earth however, not knowing wind and weather. We are all just a part of a big machine.
I could go on about this but you have heard it all before. It is the lamentations of modern man. Is it nostalgia that drives this or is it truly something more basic ? I think it is a combination of both. The past can appear romantic when read about in books. The reality is it was tough. Many of us take up " crafting " to gain some measure of satisfaction. Our crafts providing some tangible evidence. I do believe that is what we all want, to have left something of ourselves behind. Passing our knowledge, our trade and traditions, to the next generation is a fulfilling thing. Too many of these trades are being automated in the name of efficiency. Efficiency comes at a cost. Maybe we just have it a little too easy. Too much time to find fault with each other and society in general. More time to fret over what the neighbors are doing instead of focusing on our own backyard.
But, like I said, you have heard this all before. It is ever the same with each succeeding generation. My own generation, the boomers. have had it pretty darn easy. We owe that to the " greatest generation " a generation quickly leaving us. That little book I was so pleased to receive records some of the details of that generation. Those letters complied into a book titled " A gift from the attic " could just as easily been called, text messages from heaven. I haven't finished the book but highly recommend it. There are lesson to be learned from that book. Truly, it is a " gift " to us all.
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