John Bussey's poignant and personal sharing of his father's frugal and wise ways is a help to us all ("For My Dad, the 'New Normal' Is Old Hat," op-ed, Jan. 7). For such was the character of the make-do Depression-era survivors whose stalwart character traits are well worthy of a second look. For those raised in the era of indulgence and possessiveness, and still searching for some form of happiness or contentment, Mr. Bussey's dad holds the key. His thrift and industry must become, once again, the "normal" if we are to prosper as before.
Daniel Minchen
Rochester, N.Y.
My father was the youngest of five and was 13 years old when his father died in 1930. My grandmother never worked outside the home, so the children did what was necessary to survive, with several siblings dropping out of school and getting jobs to pay the rent and put food on the table. In later years, when I heard my father and his siblings talk about those times, there seemed to be pride in the fact that they all worked as necessary to keep the family together and to survive.
They did not see themselves as victims entitled to a bailout, but as merely in the same temporary predicament as most of their fellow Americans. My father, at age 13, would sell newspapers in downtown Asheville, N.C., in order to have money for his lunch at school each day.
Like Mr. Bussey's father, my father was content to live with the basic household furnishings and rarely splurged for items which he deemed unnecessary. Maybe this "new normal" will find some new respect as our population adjusts to the realities that we have been living well beyond our means, both individually and as a nation.
Tom Reynolds
Atlanta
John Bussey brought back memories of my own dad, R.J. Eubank, whose motto was "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without." In 1918, Dad left home at age 13 after graduating from the eighth grade and worked as a dishwasher in Amarillo and as a delivery boy and a telegrapher in Chicago. Later, he became a pipeline dispatcher and clerk for an oil company in Dallas. He worked at night so he could attend school during the day. During the Great Depression, he retained his job because he was prompt and efficient.
In the 1930s our family ate a lot of rice and beans, and we wore hand-me-down clothing and shoes with cardboard inserts in the soles. Through the years, Dad saved and invested wisely. In 1975 he retired as an executive with an oil company in Houston. He died at the age of 100, leaving our family with enough assets to provide the grandchildren with good educations. We are very grateful.
Martha Eubank Rhynes
Ada, Okla.
What is especially notable is the recognition that the habits of many from this generation are not accompanied by a feeling of loss or regret, but with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Fully utilizing every possession and purchase, spending as little as possible ("squander" was one of my father's favorite comments when we asked for something he believed was particularly frivolous), and gloriously reveling in the savings being accumulated for the family as a result of these habits was just who he was.
Marilyn Lambie
Fort Worth, Texas
Note from KBJ: Frugality is second nature to me. I must be a fogy.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 