I don't think my generation could hold a candle to "The Greatest Generation"

So, I was going through the contents of my "cedar chest coin find" last night and I cannot help but marvel on the "steel pennies" that are in that hoard.

The "marvelling" is not really at the pennies themselves, for the pennies are not in "good" shape, as these particular pennies tend to have spots on them and the like. But the pennies, made in 1943 during America's "gear up" for what would be WW2 represent the sacrafice of a generation. The rationing and "doing without" is a far far far cry from the "go shopping" we all were told to do as the Towers were still smoldering and our finest was sent into harms way.

I even have a 1943 German penny, or "Reichs Pfenig" that shows the German people were most likely sacraficing in the very same way.

As I have read a little more about pennies lately, I also found that the 1944's or 1945's were made from spent shell casings from the war effort. Seems like what was used was needed, and what could be used again, was made into something new and tangible.

My generation (Generation X) is finally coming to grips with the idea of recycling, and using renewable energy sources. But, I wish the idea of sacrafice and saving what we could and taking only what we really NEED, I wish those ideas could have been more adhered to than the ideas of excess meaning "success" and having all the toys NOW means we somehow WIN.

I am glad for "The Greatest Generation" and the pennies in my drawer as well as my own Great Uncle's sacrafice in the POW camp in WW2 will keep my reminded of how great we can be as a nation, and the value of everyday "things" we could all probably do without.

Thanks for reading!