Back in 1915 life was much simpler than now. It wasn’t better, it was just simpler. The following are a few facts of economic life in 1915

Average annual income $687.00 per year – same as $16,100 today

Average cost of a home $3,200 – same as $177,000 today

Average cost of a car $2,005 –same as $48,579 today

Cost of a gallon of gas $23 cents – same today as $5.50 a gallon

Loaf of bread 7 cents, dozen eggs 34 cents, quart of milk 9 cents.

Average pair of men’s shoes $3-$5-same as $70-$116 today (about right)

Average pair of women’s shoes $7-$10 – same today as $163-$233 (some things never change. Ha)

Other facts:

17 million people died in the First World War. It was the bloodiest conflict in human history.

Harry Houdini performed his straight jacket escape

First coast to coast phone call was made between Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson

Rocky Mountain National Park is established by Congress

United sates Coast Guard was formed

Babe Ruth hits his first home run

Hurricanes hits Galveston and New Orleans and kills 275 people

Cornell University wins the college football championship. Ha

Ford Motor Company sells its 1 millionth car

American was embattled in the Great War that cost the lives of millions of young men and women and to live financially in 1915 was much worse than today and in America. Also, racial hatred was everywhere.

So yes, it was simpler but yet much more difficult. When you hear people talk about the good ole times, well, we are in the good ole times right now. As I was writing this blog post I thought about 100 years from now when someone is writing about 2015 and how our time will be viewed against history.

The inescapable fact of life is that all we have, is today. We can waste it or make it. History will judge us all on how we lived, loved and what memories we left for our families. Make it count. KT