Silent No Longer

I was born in 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, a time of financial distress for my family and many Americans. The hard times gave rise to the name "silent generation" for those struggling to get by in the moribund economy. We moved into my maternal grandparents home, and I remember while growing up, my mother counting the money in her purse before we went out shopping; its significance lost on me as a child. I was a shy, chubby, freckle-faced redhead always happy to be with the adults and quietly listening to the conversation. In my long life, I've been a good listener and a good student; I have seen and learned and experienced so much that it is time for me to speak up and offer thoughts and opinions that might be of interest and help to others. I am silent no longer.