longtime mall Santa hears it for the first time ever.

I distinctly remember that in 1978-1980, our Christmas presents were always food items. Stockings had apples, peanuts in the shell, and little candies. Wrapped gifts were canned corn, canned soup, or whatever canned item each child liked. It was not a problem actually, except when the other kids at school would discuss what they received. Relative deprivation is a bi-atch.

A sad comment on our American dream. I used to listen to my parents and grand parents talk about the great depression, and I'd feel such admiration for them having the strength to come through it all, and with hard work they made a life for themselves. My Granddad never put money in a bank again, until the day he died in 1969. There are probably money jars in that back yard still. Is this what we are in for? The foreclosures have already begun, and the banks are going down right now. Save up your groceries my friends, it's only beginning.

I was always hungry as a kid, but I never associated it that we were poor, I just thought my brothers ate us out of house and home. I remember stealing candy one time because I was hungry. The guy at the store took me in the back and gave me a talking to and then gave me some candy to take home. I've never stolen anything since.
It breaks my heart now to see other's going through the same.

This clip brought tears to my eyes. I feel so sad for the children. It breaks my heart to read clips like this. My Mother had a neighbour once, who was an alcoholic and she never had any money. My Mother one day saw her young daughter collecting refundable soft drink bottles out of the garbage bins in the neighbourhood. She told her she was collecting them so she could have enough money to buy by a can of real petfood for her skinny little kitten for Christmas. She didn't think about herself or that she would go without, her only concern was for that poor little kitten. It made me cry my eyes out.