I do not want to turn this into a soap opera,but i would like for you to take a short look at present day life.
We have come a long way in the past 70 plus years.Progress is great and will continue after we are all gone. Whether it is for better or for worse some may say.

We are the parents or grandparents of our own children and grandchildren and as we look at them and see the world that they are living in, compared to what we left behind. Will life be that much more better in the next 70+ years . " I hope so ".
No matter where you go today, most, parents are driving big SUV's or cars.[ no pony and trap or bicycle.] with a beautiful home with all the most up to date appliances and Tv's etc. [ some probably with a large morgage]. But who cares they are only young once.
The grandchildren have to have all the latest,cellphones,blackberries,ipods,laptops,gameboys,and x boxes etc,and dress in the most up to date clothing.

Am i sounding jealous, or maybe envious, possibly yes, but not cricital.
I for one surely wound not want to go back to the " GOOD OLD DAYS ",of the 30's, 40's, and 50's.

Thank you for taking time to listen to my rambling. No offence intended to anyone by me.

An Exile

Fellow Exile,
Your postings are very interesting, I hope you are correct about progression continuing, I myself have seen here in Germany the opposite in the last 12 years. The wages and incomes ( pensions etc. ) standing still, the cost of living climbing. A net monthly income ( pension or wage ) 1996 of 2,600 DM ( = €1,300 ) has according to an official Government survey a purchasing power of €1,000 today.
One does need to have studied economics to see what could happen in Northern Ireland with the exploding house prices, leaving quite a few people with less to give out for other consumables, making it inevitable that lack of demand for other goods will result in less people being employed in their manufacture. More unemployment means less people paying tax and insurance etc and so the spiral turns.
Unemployment, together with globalization reduces the demand for labour at home, resulting in loss of income for those whose jobs are gone.
But enough for tonight, please keep posting your memoirs
Donald