Ketchup Soup
my grandfather used to tell me this story (well its more of an anecdote). How people during the depression used to order hot tea, the cheapest thing on the menu, keep the teabag to the side and put ketchup in the hot water to make soup. In our current world with its luxuries and excesses and dollar menus its hard to believe that everyday people might be so poor that they would have to make ketchup soup. With the economy they way its been I can't help but wonder will things get this bad again? I'd like to think no, that this is more of a recession not a depression to the proportions of that which my grandfather saw. Funny thing is a few days ago as the market was going bust my sister brought up the same thing, the same story had come back into her mind as well at the same time.
On that same note I was coming home late last night about 11:30 and I saw a woman with a cart full of cans. This is something that fairly common place in my neighborhood (as well as across the country). Anyway this woman also had her little daughter with her. Her daughter had a small child sized toy shopping cart with her and in that cart was 2 empty 20 oz coke bottles. I'm not moved often by things of this nature, (I was a little drunk at the time so that might have helped) but I couldn't help but feel a rush of emotions; sadness frustration. Every little girl at such a young age looks up to and wants to be like mommy right? So her emulation of her was to have her own cart and to help out mommy. The saddest part I think was they both were stopped and looking in the window of this gaudy little jewelry and handbag shop in my neighborhood as I walked by them. It kind of reminded me of "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette walls a book you should check out. I can only hope that that girl's life turns out as well as Jeanette's.
On that same note I was coming home late last night about 11:30 and I saw a woman with a cart full of cans. This is something that fairly common place in my neighborhood (as well as across the country). Anyway this woman also had her little daughter with her. Her daughter had a small child sized toy shopping cart with her and in that cart was 2 empty 20 oz coke bottles. I'm not moved often by things of this nature, (I was a little drunk at the time so that might have helped) but I couldn't help but feel a rush of emotions; sadness frustration. Every little girl at such a young age looks up to and wants to be like mommy right? So her emulation of her was to have her own cart and to help out mommy. The saddest part I think was they both were stopped and looking in the window of this gaudy little jewelry and handbag shop in my neighborhood as I walked by them. It kind of reminded me of "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette walls a book you should check out. I can only hope that that girl's life turns out as well as Jeanette's.