Hope I make sense, rather rushed for time today.

If you are in a bad way and have to focus on just staying well enough to live, the mind sort of kicks into its own survival mode, tossing everything else out. You can not afford to get sick from lack of food or water nor freezing in winter time.
That's the only way I can explain it....at least for me it was.

Did I missed any other stuff then......?... not at that time.
It was when things started to get a little better, that the mind had
'time off' shall we say and wandered to the stuff that was before.
I quickly shut that line of thinking off as we were not 'out of the woods' ...yet.
About the only thing I wanted/wished for was to have a little more time in the day to get everything done. Wished/wanted to not be so tired so I could get more that needed doing, done.

O.S. is very right on 2 things!
Time being one and other the 'dirty' factor. 😉
You really do not even realize you are dirty... it just is. The mind sort of tosses it out as 'so what...not important'...food, water, safety is the main focus.
My saying then was, 'pick out the cleanest dirty clothes and let's go, times a wastin'.'
Say that today and see how ppl look at you! lol

Everyone that's in 'the crap' will be way to busy working. How to get that little bit of food, firewood, water ...to have the mind wander to what was. It will be focused totally on surviving.

Even at nights, if you not sleeping from exhaustion from that day's work, you will be planning on how to get things done the next day. Sewing clothing that ripped that day that you need to wear the next or maybe doing preparing food for the next day.
Possibly grinding wheat berries (if you're lucky enough to have them), or whatever.
I know cause I have fallen asleep more then a few times while trying to get 'just a bit' more done. Tho you pay the next day being drag butt tired. 🙁

*sigh* I struggle on how to explain it when the mind takes over to a totally different way of life. Hard to do for someone that has not been there, so they understand. Hope I made even a little bit of sense.

I said I would miss the net cause of weather reports. That comes from my experience while I tended my garden. Experience is a great teacher!

Then I would always hope the weather would hold, look at the sky and wonder. I needed that garden to live. I would not get much sleep if there was clouds in the skies at night for fear of bad weather hitting the garden.
With having the net you can use radar etc to see what's coming in and be prepared for it. Now I can see a hail storm or snow heading my way, race out and do the appropriate care for the gardens.
Back then it was BS luck if I saved any part of the garden. :/

Did you know even radishes can look soooo good to have to eat.....even with that being the only thing of the day and the next day and ......
I used my sense of humour to get me thru....oh this is a big radish....one part meat, one part veggies..mmmm yummy. Then grab another smaller one and ooohhh look ... dessert. 😉
The mind is a great tool, depending on how you use it. 🙂

Woodbooger:
I was born and live in Canada....always have. Sadly it can hit you where ever you live.

Hey OldTimeGardener I see you know exactly what I am talking about.
Thanks Henry.

Hey OldTimeGardener I see you know exactly what I am talking about.
Thanks Henry.

Thanks Henry.

Tho I think the thanks belong to what I listened to as a child. Parents telling of their experiences in hard times, what they went thru and what they did. Some of that was retained in this young mind back then and thankfully most came back when I needed it.
I had asked myself many times..what would they have done way back then?

Another thing is being inventive or thinking outside the box, so to speak.
Dang when something breaks down and you haven't got the stuff to fix it nor run to the supply store...by golly ya better think of a way in a hurry.
Cause we all know a little of something broken down will soon be a big something with no hope of fixin it.
The old saying. A stitch in time saves nine. That surely applies to many things, not just sewing as many think.

For years I had a old swimming siding all rolled up. it was huge! It was stashed away behind the woodshed.
Chicken coop roof sprung a leak. Get out that roll, along with a pair of snips, there was a new roof. It was a touch rusty but cans of odd paint I had always keep, it was lookin pretty good.

But that ate up a lot of time and energy that I should have used else where and can really set you back.
Falling trees and buckin' them up, never mind splitting yet to be done then hauling them and all done by hand, takes mega time.
That's where learning to ration wood really helps by learning to live with a lower fire and many layers of clothing on.

On the bright side.
Back then, no one needed to take sleeping pills or worry about going to the gym . 😉

I do not wish those hard times on any one, but they sure are a learning experience you will never forget. A whole different world.

If all of you do or have lived them, I wish you'd share those times with others that are willing to hear you. So if one day when they find themselves there, they too can say.....
What would they have done back then?

OTG