Out of all the good times we had on our recent road trip to Texas, two stand out in my mind.  The time we spent with my husband’s 81 year-old uncle, Aaron, and the visit to Boyd’s and Barbara’s home garden.  Boyd and Barbara are both in their 70′s.

My days are filled with fun times with other homeschool moms, my sisters and other friends.  We’re all in our 30′s and 40′s, and I love them all, but on this trip I was struck by the immense wealth of knowledge and experience that is passing me by.  I’m happy to talk with the few senior citizens in my circle when they cross my path, but rarely do I seek them out for long conversations.

Uncle Aaron told us stories about a P.O.W. camp set up in Ft. Worth, Texas, and gave us advice on everything from finding good, cheap restaurants to keeping family close.  Barbara spent most of her morning talking with me about the finer points of canning.  She had pulled out all her old recipe and canning books just for my visit, and Boyd!  Boyd took my husband and son outside to his large garden, and the next time I saw them, they had two large grocery bags filled to the top with fresh strawberries, broccoli, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and grapes.  When we left, they plied us with jar after jar of homemade applesauce, pickles, Boyd’s salsa, and beets.

What struck me most was their eagerness to share.  They weren’t in any rush.  We weren’t interrupted by their cell phones, and none of them were texting on Blackberries.  They answered questions I didn’t know I had, and I came home energized and ready to begin canning things I’d never tried before, like my homemade marinara sauce. 

You know how much I love books and a good, solid Survival Library is important, but there’s nothing like learning from a real live person.  There’s so much knowledge locked up inside our older relatives, friends and neighbors.  In our quest to prepare for difficult days, who knows more than a generation raised by Great Depression parents?

Who can you learn from today?  Can you take an hour out of your schedule to call, or better yet, visit, an elderly friend or relative?  I hope this will nudge you into doing just that some time this week.  I’d love to hear what you’ve learned.

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