Could you survive?

kiwilrdg · Aug 17, 2012

My family's farm has the same water supply as 1937 but the ram pump has been replaced by an electric pump. Ram pumps always stall on the coldest nights of the year.
The well is from an aquafer that also supplies a large bottled water plant.

Municipal water is better where live most of the year because the pipes are not old iron pipes anymore. Some old buildings still have the rust trails under the faucets.

Stanley Doble · Aug 17, 2012

When they started selling bottled water here in Canada I thought the world had gone crazy. Why would anyone pay money for water? There was an old comic poem with the line " the grocers give one lake away with every pound of tea". That was when Canada had more clean fresh water than any country in the world. Not anymore.

Flicka · Aug 17, 2012

One thing that was around in 1937 that I wish was around now: small, local and specialised shops. A local butcher, fruit and veg shop, a baker nearby, a haberdasher, a grocery store where they know your name... They're all gone and replaced by huge supermarkets with anonymous products in huge packages.

skyvue · Aug 17, 2012

Flicka said:
One thing that was around in 1937 that I wish was around now: small, local and specialised shops. A local butcher, fruit and veg shop, a baker nearby, a haberdasher, a grocery store where they know your name... They're all gone and replaced by huge supermarkets with anonymous products in huge packages.

They're not gone everywhere, though they're undeniably more scarce. We've got all those shops here in NYC (depending to a certain upon one's neighborhood).

Flicka · Aug 17, 2012

We haven't had those since the 60s...

bburtner@moran · Aug 17, 2012

I would be dead!32 years ago I had a massive bleeding ulcer!lost 2 units of blood,they did not have Tagamet then or endoscopy I would be pushing up daisies...

Stray Cat · Mar 26, 2013

Could I survive?

(this one will not be a fair fight, since I'm LIVING the history, but..)
1937. Pre-war years.
My town had population over 15.000 (just like today), it had two pharmacies: Mr.Ph. Milana Kaplarskog (opened in 1896) and Mr.Ph.Ludviga Barkovića (opened in 1852), it had MORE industry than today, it had MORE young folks, and we actually had a tennis court. Theater was constantly filled up, we were (so to say) the epicenter of culture.. thanks to 3 extremely rich families.
Darn.. my town in 1937 was BLOOMING.
[size=-2]Must I add that WWII took everything, and post-WWII communist committee took the rest[/size]

In 1937, my house would have been NEW. lol And, since we still fire up the good old tiled stove, and I'm a granddaughter of a butcher.. I'd be doing (it's a shame saying it) better than today.
I manage to lose my cell-phone at least once a week, and I never carry it with me (hence, it loses it's purpose).
I can't stand the "hurry-hurry" speed of life.
I despise the "But, this shirt is no-iron" people.. no, dear.. that shirt is a MUST-iron, you're just looking like something a cow munched a while ago.
..in 1937, we had a future. I think I could live with that.

I'm a coutry-girl comma engineer comma heritage-keeper comma residing in a house designed (like MANY others) by an Austro-Hungarian fella. I'm mentaly stuck in the pre-WWII time.. [size=-2]Thank my parents for working overtime, leaving me to grow up with Grandpa, born in 1920.[/size] :thumb:
If nothing: growing up in a country that had more black-outs than UK during the The Blitz.. I've learned to use candle-light (if all else fails), how to enjoy books, and how to ration.. :third:

esteban68 · Mar 26, 2013

Easily as a time served mechanical engineer work in the UK would be no problem, wearing older stuff would suit me as it is only convention and my current job that precludes me wearing 'vintage' every day, when I stand at vintage events I always wear vintage, I hate phones so wouldn't miss those, I have a real fire stove so keeping one of those in wouldn't be an issue, poaching for rabbits, wood pigeons etc was less risky then now you risk getting shot by the police over here if you get seen out with a rifle/shotgun!
The only thing I'd really miss is the internet to share/talk about shared interests and digital cameras for taking easy pics, that said I'd be surrounded by and living with older quality made items that could be easily repaired.

Flat Foot Floey · Mar 26, 2013

In a generic 1937 wonderland I would love to work as an illustrator for fashion magazines and such.

I doubt I would survive long in 1937 nazi germany.
I am hard of hearing and without hearing aids it would make me look dumb. Every man who was worthless as soldier was worthless alltogether for them. Of course I would have gone through a very different education/socialisation too. If I would have participated? I don't even want to think about it.

I don't envy you americans for your rose tinted glasses though. It's totally clear for me that living here and now is to my advantage. I consider myself very very lucky.

Shangas · Mar 26, 2013

You could immigrate to England.

A lot of places in the 1930s were scary or dangerous. China, Japan, Germany, and perhaps to a lesser extent, India.

Two Types · Mar 27, 2013

Finding myself in 1937 wouldn't be good:

In 1937 many Brits were certain there was a war coming. So I think I'd be sitting around fretting about the likelihood of war and worrying about my children. Just think what's ahead of me - two years of tension, six years of war (daughter called up for service; my son's a keen sailor, so he'll be in the Royal Navy by 1940; plenty of heavy bombing in my area and in 1944 three V1 flying bombs will land within 200 yards of my house), then five years of rationing. So 1937? No thank you.

On the plus side, my career (before I was made redundant a few years ago) was in a press photo agency. Press photography thrived in the 1930s so I would most likely still be in that industry, making a decent career for myself. Had I moved into my current field, writing history books, I'd probably be making a better living. So there are benefits.

I'd still be shopping at the same butchers shop: so that's another plus. There would be more trains, more pubs and my doctor would probably advise me to smoke more. And I could get rid of my car!!!!!

I could cope with the lifestyle but i think the tension might be more than anything I'd like.

Stray Cat · Mar 27, 2013

Flat Foot Floey said:
I doubt I would survive long in 1937 nazi germany.
I am hard of hearing and without hearing aids it would make me look dumb.

Modern medical science has improved many lives.
Talking about 1937 (JUST 1937, folkes!) I'd be fine.. but as time goes on, as the years go by, as war comes closer, as food goes ([size=-2]..well: food just wanishes, unless you dig an illegal basement[/size]).. life wasn't pretty in Europe.

Shangas said:
You could immigrate to England.

We could.. we might. But in 1937. life was good.

Two Types said:
Press photography thrived in the 1930s so I would most likely still be in that industry, making a decent career for myself. Had I moved into my current field, writing history books, I'd probably be making a better living. So there are benefits.
I'd still be shopping at the same butchers shop: so that's another plus. There would be more trains, more pubs and my doctor would probably advise me to smoke more. And I could get rid of my car!!!!!

Most of us, here present, are reviving the lifestyle; most of us are using the goods, appliances and clothing of an era.. and most of us are reading, studing (almost breathing!) the time gone by. So, majority of us knows nearly everything, and would do just fine.

***
In the news:
Elze Jogane Kenig was arrested on November 20th 1937, on the charges of espionage.

Foxer55 · Mar 27, 2013

What...! You're kidding, right? I was more or less raised on 1937 technology. You know, tubes, wire, analog meters, cars that you could tune yourself. I could make a fortune if I were plopped back there. Is there some way I can do that?

LizzieMaine · Mar 27, 2013

Apropos this discussion, let's see how you'd actually do it.

Stray Cat · Mar 27, 2013

Ughhh.. you've made me think.

I've tried my best.

FountainPenGirl · Mar 29, 2013

Hi, I love these kind of conversations. I'd have to jump in and say that I'm one of these younger "old timers" that lived not much different from that most of my life. Even now, cooking on a wood stove, lighting the house with kerosene lamps, and even drive a '38 Chrysler for a regular car in nice weather (Don't want to get it in the winter slop.) I don't believe I'd have much problem. Actually average 1937 might be a little more modern that a lot of what I deal with.

Stray Cat · Mar 29, 2013

So, here we are: talking about how we all live "vintage" lifestyle, how we use stoves, how we own kerosene lams, how we prefer tweed.. This came to me: "What would an Outsider think?!"
To stop the dilemma, I've asked my brother (who just happens to be my opposite - so ultramodern he's turning Transhuman). He told me we're pretty much all insane to even think we can exist without "the buzz" of modernity. He started mentioning Tuberculosis (nasty thing!), country-side child labor (another nasty thing, vastly popular at that time), lack of women's right.. and so on.
Hmm..

Could we survive?
....fragile as we are!?

LoveMyHats2 · Mar 29, 2013

I'd do "just swell", either building or manufacturing....or, geez, did they have fuller brush in 1937? Some of my friends would say I would have made a great radio announcer.....

LizzieMaine · Mar 29, 2013

Some of us wouldn't have survived as long as we have if we were "fragile."

Feraud · Mar 30, 2013

Stray Cat said:
So, here we are: talking about how we all live "vintage" lifestyle, how we use stoves, how we own kerosene lams, how we prefer tweed.. This came to me: "What would an Outsider think?!"
To stop the dilemma, I've asked my brother (who just happens to be my opposite - so ultramodern he's turning Transhuman). He told me we're pretty much all insane to even think we can exist without "the buzz" of modernity. He started mentioning Tuberculosis (nasty thing!), country-side child labor (another nasty thing, vastly popular at that time), lack of women's right.. and so on.
Hmm..
Could we survive?
....fragile as we are!?

Society has grown and prospered for thousands of years without the "the buzz" of modernity. Suddenly people cannot live without checking their cellphones constantly. Watch the news, this generation hasn't eradicated illness nor treats women with anything I'd call respect.
Which sentiment is the insane one?

Could you survive?

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