Rich Folks.

[Vaquero]

Pastor Pete

“RICH FOLKS” December 22, 2023

Growing up, I don’t ever recall my mom or dad talking about us being poor. As a matter of fact, I remember feeling sorry for some of the poor kids in our school. We had a floor, some of them didn’t. We had a lunch, some of them didn’t. We had shoes and a coat to wear to school, some of them didn’t.

I recall sitting in the living room of our little house with 4 rooms and a path, with at least seven kids in the room, and hearing dad say, “Mom, we sure do have a lot, don’t we.” To which she would always agree with a contented smile on her face.

I didn’t understand it then, but as I look back, I know that his idea of “a lot” was different from many. If the kids were healthy, there was hay in the barn for the horses, taters in the cellar for the kids, and wood on the porch to keep us warm, we were rich.

I don’t know if many people can find that level of contentment in today’s world. I don’t even know if I can, but I sure hope we do. If we take a good look at what we have, we too could say, “We sure do have a lot, don’t we.”

[Stray Cat]

When my younger brother and I get together at deer camp, we have a saying that goes: "We don't have a lot, but we sure have a lot of fun". For us, that is rich enough!

[Ernie]

We did not have a lot but we had food and good friends and family. I never felt envious of those that had more and there were certainly those that had less.

[BrokenolMarine]

I can remember that we had a rich aunt and uncle. They owned a major business in Gainesville, Florida and eventually expanded it to a chain, four stores in four major cities. Bait shop, tackle, and they sold boats, motors, and trailers. The original store started with just worms and live minnows on a corner in town, and eventually became a city block with the boats and all, then the four stores. They had the nice home, a big weekend house on a lake with large frontage... and each of the three kids went off to college at U of F with a new car.

At times, I knew we were poor, at times we were middle class, but I knew one thing... we were happier most time than that family. Closer too. When I'd read that money doesn't buy happiness, I knew exactly what it meant.

[daytime dave]

We never had "money" but we were about the same as most in the neighborhood. I always had what I needed and my sister too. My mother started working in a department store as we were older and my wardrobe improved. Other families had different things that were cool and some didn't have as much as the rest of us.
Neighbors helped each other, no matter what it was. Apparently that isn't so common now. A neighbor child had severe physical and mental problems, so much so that he couldn't speak or move much. Rather than send him to a "home", the neighbor women would meet at his house Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week and move his arms and legs as physical therapy. The kids would go play in the basement while this was done for him. That went on for years as I recall. The young man went on to be able to speak, walk and ride a bike. His sister never married and devotes her life to him since his parents have passed. Only with the combined "wealth of a very rich" neighborhood could he have stayed and lived at his home. When the neighbors barn burnt, all the men had the cows out and a bucket brigade going by the time the fire department arrived.
We knew a loving atmosphere at home. Many children till live in the old neighborhood. I moved one town away and my sister moved out of state, only to return once or twice a year. I can't remember anyone getting divorced in the area.
My aunt and uncle had more money than most. My cousin was 10 years older than me. I still remember at his high school graduation party, my uncle called him into the garage. I followed along and heard my cousin let out a yell. My uncle presented him with a brand new red Barracuda with black stripes. My cousin moved out of state after college, became hugely successful in business and I only saw him at our grandmother's funeral after that.
( I got the family 4d sedan on it's last legs, only when I needed to drive to work, by the way )
I visited my parents almost weekly and did my best to help out towards their end days. I was fortunate to have learned many things from both of them most of my life. I had to sell their farm, but still feel a sense of belonging when I travel there to visit their graves in the neighborhood cemetery. Some of the "wealthiest" people we ever met are having their eternal rest in that cemetery.

I would say I had a very rich life and have been most fortunate so far. Was it genetic, or a product of the environment. I'd say it was a lot to do with the environment. I don't run across many places like where I grew up anymore. I bring it with me wherever I go.

[BrokenolMarine]

In my career, I often noticed that the kids of the very wealthy, often failed to have a close relationship with their parents. Mom and Dad were focused on the goal of earning. Middle income family life was more about the family. When we took vacations, it wasn't about the location, or impressing anyone, it was about spending that time together. Often my folk's vacation from work meant just staying home and spending "Extra" time with us... doing things together around town. Trips to the park, a day at the river, fishing, big cookout, whatever.

[Sir Henry]

I grew up in poverty being homeless a lot of the time. It was my goal to escape being poor and I had to leave my family to do it as they kept trying to drag me back. Now that I’m older and financially well off I look back and realize being poor growing up is what gave me my strengths.

I quit smoking and drinking because there was no return on the money. Do you realize if you smoked a pack a day in 1986 you would have spent about $185 that year? If you investigated $185 in Microsoft that year it would be worth around $735K today. It’s my experience people make stupid decisions and that keeps them in poverty.

[brm4450]

Like Vaquero, my family never talked about being poor. Us kids never lacked for food. We couldn’t wait for the JC Penny and the Sears & Roebuck catalogs. We would view the toy section and wished. We were poor but we always got one present under the tree which we went out and cut down ourselves. I can remember walking the ditches for pop bottles and getting 3 cents for them, also picking up hay bald for a nickel a bale. My dad always said we weren’t poor just on a limited budget.

[pennsylvaniapete]

My brother and I were brought up by blue collar workers in Pittsburgh. We both put ourself’s through college by working in a steel mill sweeping floors and expediting piece work from one machine to the next machine.
Prior to that we both caddied at a Country Club while in high school.
The movie ‘Caddy Shack’ was right on!

I ordered my hunting jacket, pants and hat from the Montgomery Ward catalog.
Things were simpler back in those days….i wish it were the same now!

[cooperhawk]

Funny someone brought this up right now. Carol and I were just talking about that last night.

Carol's Father was a surgeon and her Mother a Nurse in WWII. They had not married at that point however and were stationed at a small hospital outside of Paris in Patton's 3rd army. My Father was 33 when he sold his business and joined the Army, (much to my Mother's consternation I might add), and was in Patton's 3rd Army in the battle of the Bulge. He was wounded while on a foreword patrol and he and another GI played dead in the snow until Patton took the area. Then he was sent to that same small hospital. Fate perhaps?

Anyway Carol was raised in a well to do family. She then got in a spat with her Father and went out on her own where she met the three bares.
Bare feet, bare ass and bare plate. She put herself through college with no help at all. She's remarkable like that, (and stubborn).
When my Father came home in 1946 I was 6 and my Brother was 4. Dad had to start over from scratch. We farmed two different farms with no electricity or running water. Those were very lean years. When I was 11 we moved to town so Mom could go to work in the Post Office and things gradually got better. Then Dad's trucking company took off and he did very well.

I worked on the farm and drove truck for Dad until Uncle Sam sent me "Greetings" in 1964. When I got out I decided to go it on my own and went to work for the FAA. I went through a divorce and lost everything and started over. I finally found my children and got full custody and raised them on my own.

Carol went through a divorce and ended up with nothing but a 2 year old daughter. She put herself through law school working, raising her daughter, and going to the University when she had time. She never borrowed any money for college.

Last night we were reflecting on that and all the trials and tribulations we both went through and where we are now. We have a very nice home on a lake. Two good vehicles, two motorhomes, (one is for sale), a stable retirement from the govt and money in savings. What more could we ask for. We give away a lot of money to different causes, (including helping grandchildren) and live well.

We are blessed and we know it.