Oddly Enough Someone Called Me A "Gatsby Girl" Today

I'm sure by now you've heard that the world is swiftly going to hell in a hand basket. No joke as I typed that sentence, I figured out that phrase. We're being hand delivered to hell. Huh? This answers so many questions I had. Moving on.

I'm sure you've been hearing about how suck-ish the economy is, and how woe some the job market is, and yadda, yadda. Things are starting to fall apart, and history is repeating itself.

What? You ask. What on earth do you mean? Well, without stating the facts (because I'm tired and just had my first sip of coffee for the morning) we here in the United States are probably heading towards a depression. Barring a miracle, things are probably not going to get better anytime soon. I'm not trying to be depressing, so stay with me on this one. (You'll be glad you did!) I work in a law office that handles bankruptcies, so I do see the real hardships that some people are going through. If you of your family are facing difficult times, I really do understand and feel your pain. Please don't think I'm being callous or cynical.

But life needs a little bit of humor, even in the form of cynicism. Thus, this post. (which is getting to the point) Trust me when I say that I do not take the world's situation lightly. Being a musician in troubled times can either be a blessing, or an undoing, so I am treading carefully and fully mindful of how serious things are.

That said, I'm not all that afraid of a depression. Why? You ask. Well here's why:

I have always been a fan of the 1930's. I love the sleek silhouettes of the clothing, the cute and quirky attitude of the period, and most of all the resourcefulness of the people. My great-grandma told me about how her mother would make panties from potato sacks in the '30's, and My grandmother on my dad's side loves to tell us all about how she only had *3* dresses: Her church dress, her play dress, her work dress, her school dress, and her party dress. (yes I know that is five, I'm pretty sure my grandmother just can't count. There is actually a shtick I do imitating my grandmother regarding her dresses. If you knew her, you'd laugh)

I love hearing stories about the women who provided for their families despite the insurmountable odds, who rose above the occasion, who kept up their spirits, and who refused to let a little thing like a depression crush them. Isn't that what being a woman is all about? These are the stories that inspire me.

These kind of people are the ones who say "no matter what happens, there is always a silver lining, and we are going to find it, dammit!" I like that mentality. I like the "can do" spirit of it all. The 1930's were an interesting time in our country. It seems to be full of contradictions. On one side you have the beautiful glamour of the golden age of Hollywood. These people entertained our grandparents, and gave them an escape from the worries of life. Hollywood offered that "look ahead towards good times" kinda idea, and people needed that. Of course the film stars of the era emanated grace, and beauty and glamour, and because of that, women at home did their darnedest to do the same. People made their own clothes out of everything and anything they could, and they would try and replicate the same nonchalant beauty of Hollywood. On the other hand, there was suffering, and despair, and hardship. Some people couldn't handle it, other's did their best.



So I have compiled a list of things that I would like to have brought back, if we do indeed get into a depression. Again, this is mostly humorous, but I'm also dead serious. I refuse to spend any coming struggle in ugly clothes, and an ugly attitude. So take that Mr. Economy!


Please bring back:
1.
Knitting

2.

Finger waves

3.

Cherry Red Lipstick

4.

Gardening

5.

Decent Movies in Hollywood

6.

Girl Groups

7.

Community Dances

8.

Reasons to get Dressed Up

9.

Turbans

10.

Cool Cars

11.

Dapper Men (preferably with those slinky mustaches)

12.

Agatha Christie

Please do not bring back:

1.

Au Gratin

Unless it's potatoes

2.

Man Pomade

Mostly because it would be AXE who would produce it now

3.

Outhouses

I'm good with modern plumbing

4.

Whatever the crap this is

Moral of the story is this: no matter what happens in this world, there's always a reason to smile. Because even if you're struggling, at least you're not eating Au Gratin Jello (my Great Grandmother actually had a recipe for that). Also Art Deco lives on forever.

*By The Way*

If there are any men out there who are thinking of proposing to me anytime soon, These rings are already pre-approved: