"Bloggers As Culture Vultures" is the title of one of Conrad Hake's posts on his entertaining and multi-dimensional blog, Leveraged Intelligence. I'll leave you to form your own opinions of his post. When you spend time reading the riches you'll discover there, you'll note that he welcomes opinions which “may not necessarily express the viewpoints of that station”...er, blog.
We reap ideas from a variety of sources. Conrad, you have helped sow the seeds that have grown into this post. Your compliment is a prime example of inspiration and encouragement in action. Thank you, my friend.
Here are some random thoughts gleaned from growing up on a farm:
Before the crops could be planted, the soil needs to be prepared. Manure and ploughing. What are you doing to prepare your “soil?” What do you need? Food? Tools? Teacher? Ahem!
Something that is missing in today's era of super-farms is the concept of allowing fields to lie fallow. This allows the soil to regenerate. How about you? Do you allow yourself adequate down-time and rest? Sleep is necessary for restoration. Sometimes it takes time to integrate new learnings.
Are weeds cropping up, draining your plants of precious nutrients, choking out the healthy new growth? What is choking you? What do you need to weed-out?
Are you struggling to do the bare minimum to look after your field? Why is that? Is stress robbing you of vital energy?
Even though it stinks, you still have to shovel it. There is no getting around it – a barn needs to be cleaned. What dirty jobs are you neglecting?
We used the previous year's potatoes to start the new crop. What resources do you already have that you can use in your next project or adventure?
Each spring, we would have to go around and repair the fences that snowmobilers cut. It was expensive, time-consuming and absolutely necessary. Without good fences, the livestock would escape. Do you need a fence? Or is your fence too high - keeping out the good, as well as the bad?
One thing a farmer learns early on is that he cannot control the weather. Think of stress as the storm that doesn't let up, preventing you from reaping a magnificent harvest. Family members get ill, someone loses a job , a life is taken, you get transferred to another department. Do you have tools and techniques in place to weather out the storm, so that the minimum amount of damage is done?
A farmer knows that it is important to pay attention to all of these things. How about you? Do you have the resilience needed to go on or are you “buying the farm?”
Thank you for these really nice compliments, Marianna! You really warm my heart with these.
Those compliments aside, this is an excellent post. These ideas are spot on. In particular, I liked your comment about leaving the land fallow. Most people today have probably not heard the term before. It’s so important to both renewal of the land – and the soul…
I come from a farming stock too and I can well understand what you are getting at. In one of my recent guest posts, Padmini had talked about boredom and how farmers never seem to be bored. Even when the let the field fallow!
I used to use the farmer’s life to illustrate cycles in business training classes that I used to conduct. I still use an example or two to illustrate how things need to be allowed to process in their due time.
I found this post very refreshing. Thank you.
Conrad, it does my heart rhythms good to know that you’ve enjoyed this post…the “reverberational effect” of sincere communication.
What is your favourite form of renewal?
Rummuser, so true, when one is busy, there is no time for boredom. I was thinking this very thing about running one’s own business.
I meant to ask you if your blogging name is a hybrid of two words: ruminate & muse?
Thanks to both of you for sharing.
My favorite form of renewal really is sharing with friends and family. I was going to write you separately and tell you, but I’ll just say it here. You, a friend, putting these kind gracious words in renews my spirit. Life is a challenge for everyone – and good friends provide the balm that soothes the soul.
No, muser is for the rum character who is musing. My first name is Ramana and it was shortened by many friends to either Rum or Rummy or Rambo or whatever. When I was thinking up a name, I just combined the two to gether, but now that you mention it, the ruminating part is also quite apt I think. Thanks.
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Conrad, love that line…”the balm that soothes the soul.” 🙂
Ramana, thanks for elaborating on your blog name. I always find it interesting how our interpretations are often very different from the original.
Reminds me of book/play reviews & how we analyze what the author intended, only to discover that sometimes, it wasn’t at all what we assumed it was.
What I have successfully done over the Summer Recess from University studies (3.1/2mths) is take a lot of time for me!
I had planned on going away but just being at home more or less full time has been great to recharge the batteries….fallowing!
Then I have rejuvenated the house contents had a big Sprung Clear Up which has decluttered alot of stuff.
However, there is still need for more sorting up from the items that didn’t see the inside of the garbage bin, freecyclers, op shops.
This will take probably most of this year to achieve.
Cedar51 My apologies. I just checked back and my response to you has gone the way of lost socks.
I liked your term “fallowing”. May I borrow it?
Am I correct in assuming that the decluttering has brought you a sense of “ahhhhh”? That, by the way, is something to use whenever life become a tough row to hoe!
I came to farming as an adult, part of my circuitous adult journey. Everyone of your random thoughts on farming rings true. Those lessons learned during my farming years have stayed with me and always will. You bring those universal truths to all our lives. Thank you!
Cathryn,
Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Isn’t it marvellous to be able to recall and use the wisdom we’ve gleaned from our experiences?