The winter months offer an opportunity to ramble through old files, which leads to shuffling, reorganizing, and discarding—all of which cause warm reminiscing. Recalling the past while cleaning out old files can be balm for the soul. There is the recurring thought, "What is this and why have I kept it all these years?"

I had one of those sessions last weekend, reviewing and discarding old files by a crackling fire with a cup of coffee. Just me and those old files in a fuzzy embrace before first light brought about a touch of thanksgiving for the good things in life amid concern that history could be repeating itself.

Not sure how I came into possession of a personal recollection of a Valdosta native who remembered what it was like during the Great Depression. He began by recalling what Studs Terkel wrote in Hard Times. "People had no food and money. Couldn't keep their children fed and in clothes, but men wanted to work. This was the dominant theme through all the years of the 'Depression.'"

After graduating from high school in 1928, the Valdosta story teller went to work to help the family pay the bills. The difficult times dictated that he would not have an opportunity for college.

He had heard about opportunities in Miami. Florida, at the time, was underdeveloped, although Henry Flagler had built a railroad all the way to Key West.

Madison Avenue helped fan the notion that Miami was something extraordinary with waving palm trees and flamingoes. Hialeah Race Track. A fun-in-the-sun heaven. Hollywood filmed a move about Miami, featuring Alice Faye and Don Ameche, called "Moon over Miami."

Our intrepid raconteur, along with a friend, hopped aboard the South Wind for Miami where they would seek their fortunes. It didn't take them long to realize that they were not going to find work. Just like men everywhere—from Chicago to Waycross to Pittsburgh.

Money soon ran out, and they were desperately hungry. Realizing their hopeless situation, they walked by a nice restaurant on Flagler Street and noted an advertisement for Kansas City Steaks.

Undaunted by their forlorn circumstance, they entered the restaurant and asked for a table.

They ordered the two biggest steaks on the menu, knowing they didn't have a cent in their pockets. When the two sizzling steaks arrived, they ate their fill and lingered over the meal as long as possible. No steak had ever tasted so good.

The check came, however, and they had to own up to their caper. At the cash register, they asked the manager what he would do if two strangers entered the restaurant, ordered the two biggest steaks on the menu, and couldn't pay for them.

Whereupon the manger said, "I would kick them in their rear ends."

With that, the story teller leaned over and said, "Take out for two."