Claire V. Bogdanos

EXCUSE me, do you remember RAGAMUFFIN parades ?  They occurred on Thanksgiving Day, after church services but before dinner usually at 3 PM. Yes, we did go to church in the old days !  Then ran home to quickly change into our raggedy outfits needed to do our begging, remembering the obligatory shopping bag ! The proper question as friendly doors opened, “anything for Thanksgiving ?” Remember this was the 30’s, the Great Depression and hunger was common in the streets. Believe me this was so, but it made us LEAN and tolerant and kind ! The goodies we received were homemade and unwrapped, cookies, muffins, cupcakes along with apples or raisins and Mary Janes or other. This was all about food, silly ! However in better off neighborhoods, you might receive  nickel or dime ! You carried a shard of soapstone to mark the sidewalks or front gates of generous donors. Soapstone the chalk of choice used to draw HOPSCOTCH boxes on cement sidewalks culled from city dumps like hundreds of other items we rescued ! While railroad tracks played a large part in some economies, collecting coal from between the rails to fuel the black iron stoves at home needing only a container of sorts and work gloves !  We scrounged in small groups after school, most trains ran on coal-fed engines.  There was NO racism in the debris-field of my early years ! The Great Depression was the equalizer among the masses.  And we all loved our Eleanor, I believe we still do !   Happy Thanksgiving !    Sincerely,     Claire B.