I loved the article “Surprised by Hope” written by Jeff Minick. I lived that “life” for a short time in the ’60s and ’70s and ’80s. I’m only 76 years old, but I still think I have some wisdom to share.
I was born in the ’40s just after War World II to a couple who had little, and then after I was only a few months old, the little they had was stolen! They were living in a very modest rental home in a small town in mid-Michigan. That theft may have led them to move back to Florida where my father grew up in a tiny little settlement called Istachatta situated on the side of the Withlacoochee River near the belly button of Florida. Our family lived for two years with my paternal grandparents. Later, we lived in a different place every year: a mine shack, an abandoned school, a house with electricity and running water, etc.
While my father was out on the road selling seeds or long-distance trucking, my mother got fed up with our moving every year. When the school (abandoned) that we lived in was sold and moved out from under us, my mom decided to build us a house on that land. She contacted a nearby contractor, who was also a cousin of my father. He told her what lumber she would need and how much. She purchased raw lumber, nails, and borrowed a handsaw and hammer. With a foundation of cement blocks and no footings, she built a small three-room house, with six windows.
We had two outhouses at the very back border of that land and a well with a hand pump in the front yard. The roof had rolled roofing and often leaked when it rained hard.
All this history is to teach our young people that you can live with less than you think and you can do more than you thought you could!
As an adult, no one owes you a living. Step up to the plate and do the best you can, NOT the least you can!
Respectfully,
Vernice Chatfield, Michigan
P.S. I wrote a book “Miracles in the the Tamaracks: A Memoir,” which is available on Amazon if you want to know more.
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I would like to tell you if you have ever thought of suicide, don’t do it! The very next day could be the best day of your life.
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What advice would you like to give to the younger generations?
We call on all of our readers to share the timeless values that define right and wrong and pass the torch, if you will, through your wisdom and hard-earned experience. We feel that the passing down of this wisdom has diminished over time and that only with a strong moral foundation can future generations thrive.
Send your advice, along with your full name, state, and contact information to NextGeneration@epochtimes.com or mail it to: Next Generation, The Epoch Times, 229 W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001.
