Comments on: How small was *your* house growing up? https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:18:10 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26395 ER Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:00:26 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26395 The period of prosperity between the end of the Depression and the end of the century. My parents were born in 1911 and 1920. My mother experienced real hunger in the Depression. (Father died in 1951). I was born in 1947, and although my parents' generation had seen the worst, their adult lives were lived during a time of ever increasing prosperity. I am convinced it was due to the New Deal and the rise of industrial unions. At any rate, that's what they told me, and who should know better than them, those who lived it. 8) Most of us here are of comparable age, with comparable histories. Although it could also be argued that the Zone tends to select for people of a certain economic and social class--a selection effect. I must confess I never considered myself poor. I always had a full belly and good shoes on my feet. But my family didn't own its first home until I was 13, (government-subsidized FHA housing and a VA loan) and I never bought my (only) home until I turned 50 (VA, again). And my education was also purely an artifact of State Universities and the GI Bill. I'm sure it can be argued that the relative prosperity of the Boomers was paid for by debt, wrecking the financial future of their children and grandchildren. But it can also be argued that if the children of the working class are given a bit of help, they can also boost themselves out of poverty and wage slavery and become truly productive members of society. Without that boost, most are destined to remain poor. I submit that is not their fault. The period of prosperity between the end of the Depression and the end of the century.

My parents were born in 1911 and 1920. My mother experienced real hunger in the Depression. (Father died in 1951). I was born in 1947, and although my parents’ generation had seen the worst, their adult lives were lived during a time of ever increasing prosperity. I am convinced it was due to the New Deal and the rise of industrial unions. At any rate, that’s what they told me, and who should know better than them, those who lived it. 8)

Most of us here are of comparable age, with comparable histories. Although it could also be argued that the Zone tends to select for people of a certain economic and social class–a selection effect.

I must confess I never considered myself poor. I always had a full belly and good shoes on my feet. But my family didn’t own its first home until I was 13, (government-subsidized FHA housing and a VA loan) and I never bought my (only) home until I turned 50 (VA, again). And my education was also purely an artifact of State Universities and the GI Bill.

I’m sure it can be argued that the relative prosperity of the Boomers was paid for by debt, wrecking the financial future of their children and grandchildren. But it can also be argued that if the children of the working class are given a bit of help, they can also boost themselves out of poverty and wage slavery and become truly productive members of society. Without that boost, most are destined to remain poor. I submit that is not their fault.

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26392 Jody Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:40:19 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26392 Bwahahahaha Bwahahahaha

]]> By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26388 FrankC Tue, 27 Aug 2013 05:05:34 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26388 It's a wonder we grew up to be the outstanding parents and superior human beings that we are. :) It’s a wonder we grew up to be the outstanding parents and superior human beings that we are. :)

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26385 Jody Tue, 27 Aug 2013 00:54:11 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26385 his whole life was an overwhelming chore of responsibility. My parents should have never had four children. Mom was a neurotic bundle of nerves. She had what they used to call a *nervous breakdown*. Dad fixed TV's...and he owed everyone. Everyone owed him. We were lower middle class. Mortgaged the house three or four times. Because he had his own business people were under the notion we had money. LMAO. He was a broken man when he died. Eh...whatever...I am better for it. his whole life was an overwhelming chore of responsibility. My parents should have never had four children. Mom was a neurotic bundle of nerves. She had what they used to call a *nervous breakdown*. Dad fixed TV’s…and he owed everyone. Everyone owed him. We were lower middle class. Mortgaged the house three or four times. Because he had his own business people were under the notion we had money. LMAO. He was a broken man when he died.
Eh…whatever…I am better for it.

]]> By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26381 FrankC Mon, 26 Aug 2013 18:01:08 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26381 I submit Robert as HZ rich kid. I am somewhat surprised that so many of us come from rather humble beginning. My parents always earned enough in mid-century America to be called middle class but they partied and squandered their money and we were constantly in a financial bind. We frequently moved from one rental location to another. They were not Ozzie and Harriet. They finally managed to buy a fairly decent home when I was about 16-17. Lived there until I left home for good a couple of years later. I submit Robert as HZ rich kid.

I am somewhat surprised that so many of us come from rather humble beginning.

My parents always earned enough in mid-century America to be called middle class but they partied and squandered their money and we were constantly in a financial bind. We frequently moved from one rental location to another. They were not Ozzie and Harriet.

They finally managed to buy a fairly decent home when I was about 16-17. Lived there until I left home for good a couple of years later.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26380 ER Mon, 26 Aug 2013 17:29:51 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26380 Yeah, but I'm an ungrateful wretch. Yeah, but I’m an ungrateful wretch.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26375 bowser Mon, 26 Aug 2013 03:56:08 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26375 I wish I had had a rich uncle. :-) I wish I had had a rich uncle. :-)

]]> By: alcaray https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26373 alcaray Mon, 26 Aug 2013 03:34:35 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26373 "And we liked it!" “And we liked it!”

]]> By: alcaray https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26372 alcaray Mon, 26 Aug 2013 03:33:16 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26372 2 adults 3 kids 2 dogs, one bedroom. 2 adults 3 kids 2 dogs, one bedroom.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2013/08/25/how-small-was-your-house-growing-up/#comment-26369 bowser Mon, 26 Aug 2013 02:10:35 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=37025#comment-26369 We lived in a 2 room "house" for a few years, then I lived in a small 2 bedroom house with Mom and 2 sisters but spent a lot of time with various relatives. I spent time with an uncle in a one-room cabin, the basement of a 2 bedroom house, the attic of a cousin's house, and basically "home" was a single bed somewhere. And, I didn't have any feeling of not having a "home". I had a lot of them, was perfectly comfortable in any of them, would raid the refrigerator anywhere I was, and was accepted in all of them without any question except "Does your Mother know where you are?" I went to 10 different schools by the time I was out of High School, wasn't kicked out of any of them. We just moved. We lived in a 2 room “house” for a few years, then I lived in a small 2 bedroom house with Mom and 2 sisters but spent a lot of time with various relatives. I spent time with an uncle in a one-room cabin, the basement of a 2 bedroom house, the attic of a cousin’s house, and basically “home” was a single bed somewhere.

And, I didn’t have any feeling of not having a “home”. I had a lot of them, was perfectly comfortable in any of them, would raid the refrigerator anywhere I was, and was accepted in all of them without any question except “Does your Mother know where you are?”

I went to 10 different schools by the time I was out of High School, wasn’t kicked out of any of them. We just moved.

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