Blog Action Day 2008

Well, ye socks, 'tis the day when thousands of folks across the blogosphere have been asked to post on a common topic.

This year, it's poverty.

There aren't any firm guidelines, as I suppose they want each participating blog to put their own spin on things.

I thought I might dig thru ye olde genealogy files to cull a story or two about how poverty has affected my family over the generations, but found that I descend from a lot of incredibly blessed people.

Don't get me wrong, there were some "economic disadvantages" here and there. But, I don't think anyone considered themselves to be poor.

I guess that's because we believe poverty should be measured by much more than the financial yardstick.

You can be spiritually poor. You can be morally bankrupt. Etc, etc, etc.

I did rediscover one old story from the Gleeson side of ye olde family tree. Apparently, back in Ireland they were what most folks would consider "poor." They were so poor . . .

"How poor were they?"

Well, they were so poor that their meals generally consisted of little more than boiled cabbage and potatoes. Only on the very rare occasion did an edible piece of meat arrive in their little sod farmhouse. Since it usually wasn't enough to feed the whole clan, the meat would be hung on a hook suspended from the rafters. Each member of the family was allowed, from time to time, to spear a potato or piece of cabbage in their stew and touch it to the enticing bit of protein. But only for a moment, because the hook had to be swung across the table to the next eager diner.

And, we wonder why they came to America?!