I was born in 1929 in an industrial blue-collar city called Holyoke in Massachusetts. It was the year when the stock market crashed. Welcome to the Great Depression.
The Worst of Times
Of course, the early ’30s was when massive unemployment took place and the Depression really hit. My father had a meat and grocery store where the norm was for customers to charge their groceries and pay once a week on payday. Depression laid workers off, meaning they were unable to do so when payment was due, causing the failure of the store. Loss of business meant no income or way to support a family with five children. There was no unemployment compensation. Eviction from the rented apartment soon followed, as rent couldn’t be paid….