Family Reunion

I went to my family reunion this weekend. It is the first time in over three years I have been to visit the county I grew up in. I was so glad to finally get to go to visit because I really missed my family. It just isn't enough to keep up with people on Facebook.

The reunion I went to is called the Mills, Horn, Crum reunion (104th year) and it is held at My family's old Homestead on Turkey Creek in Martin County KY.  The old homestead is the house my great great grandpa Thomas built (remodeled now) during the civil war when the Confederate soldiers took everything he had at another location and forced him out of his home. So the homestead is where his son, Paw Fed, started his family. His 14 kids and their families are the ones that make up most of the giant reunion we have today. Out of the 14 kids there were at least 45 grandchildren for Paw Fed and his wife (I'd lay money on there being several more). That is my dad's generation. No one has bothered to count my generation and heaven forbid trying to count my daughter and son's generation! That's only 5 generations still living through my grandmothers line. But I know there is a 6th generation living because my grandmother was just one of the youngest siblings. Her oldest sister, who is still alive and comes to the reunion sometimes, has great great grandchildren. My point in all this is that we are a large family. There was around 150 people at the reunion this year and many more just stopping in to chat.

As far as my Grandmother's contribution to the family, she has 9 children. They each have at least on kid, most have two. That's about 19 grandchildren. We are all continuing the tradition by having roughly two babies each. So, soon we're going to just have to branch off and have our own little reunion ourselves.

Completely and totally off the subject....

I once took a finance class that talked about Social Security. I learned that Social Security is an insurance, not a savings account. What we pay in to it is not put back for our use later on. What happens is, the people who come behind is are the ones who are paying into a pool of money for our retirement. Meaning those who are working right now are paying for those who are retired. With the economy having the most retirees EVER because of the baby boom, and I'm at the tail end, or beginning of Gen X (close enough), there just isn't enough money in the work pool going in to the Social Security fund to pay for all these retirees. So that's why they really can't retiree as early as they previously were able to. So, when my generation and the one after mine, gets old enough to retire, We are going to have to make sure there are enough people in the work force paying in to the Social Security fund to keep us living well in our retirement. What are we supposed to do about it? HAVE MORE KIDS! At lease have two kids per household instead of one, maybe even three. It's worth the expense in the long run. They will work their tails off in the work force paying taxes in the future so that we can retire and enjoy our retirement.

My grandmother's generation had it right. Have kids, let them take care of you in your old age. Guilt them into doing it. The baby boomers screwed up. I have two kids. Now I just hope they have a good work ethic and realize they have to have kids to keep them up later in life too.

Just My Fragmented Humble Opinion

OK, Next thought.....

401K's
If everyone had 401k's or retirement funds Social Security wouldn't be necessary...
Yeah, right. And everyone would drive their own Mercedes (I want one!) and live on Rodeo Drive too. Get real. If EVERYONE could do it, it would be done. It might even be possible, but not likely. It's possible for EVERYONE to stop smoking or drugging, but not likely. I only READ fantasy. I have to LIVE in reality.

Why did I get on the subject of Social Security? Who knows. Thoughts pop into my head sometimes that just get me thinking and I want to write about it. Now you know.