It's not uncommon that I might blog about something that moves me, particularly political in nature.
Recently I started a facebook page to protest a local 31 year old "man" who is running for Commissioner in my county, not just because I disagree with his politics, but moreso because a year ago this man was arrested charged with having beaten, strangeld, and caused serious bodily harm to the mother of his children. His trial is ongoing, and conviniently enough will finish up just days before the local primary. There is a lot of corruption in this little county that I love. The guy is representing himself Pro Se and if he gets off the hook we will all know why.
Anyhow, that's not what this is really about.
I have over the past six years been suffered a repeated ignorant question regarding my choice of a career. Let me fill you in. It starts as such:
I will be having a conversation, most often with someone who only has a passing interest or no interest in agriculture at all about what I have chosen to do with my life and why, and most of the time it's the stereotypical far left or far right leaning suburbanite and inevitably the question will come.
"Is this ALL you do for a living"?
These are your "all American Americans" most often. You know the type, they think their informed because they get all their news from either Rush Limbah or NPR. Either way, it makes no difference to me, two sides of the same coin. These are the people that never question anything the talking heads say to them, the people that believe questioning your government is somehow un-patriotic. Palin or Obama supporters.....They have more in common than one would think.
These are the people buying the economic "recovery" and "double dip recession" (as opposed to DEPRESSION) hook line and sinker. They don't get it.
They think that the days of having to actually do something real and meaningful are over and that Wal-Mart and Jay-C will provide all their needs.....along with those fun government hand outs and that life will never change....that everything that they have known or everything they strived to escape (farming and more importantly SELF SUFFICIENT WORK) is now utterly useless because it's "easier to go to wal-mart, cheaper to buy at Jay-C" and the government will take care of me and mine as opposed to "I'm going to fight tooth and nail to protect me and mine"-that would be to "manly" and not PC enough for the dumbed down, flouride drinking, mass ignorance that is common place in the US today.
I used to defend myself pre-emptively when I saw this question coming with....."Well, I could go get a "real" job in Louisville, but then I'd have to............" Until I realized how self defeating and demeaning that banal brand of bullshit really was.
I don't worry about it now and let me tell you why.
The economy is done with and everyone knows it! EVERYONE....even those of you who are doubting it.
Last week Timothy Geithner got laughed at during a speech on economic recovery.....not booed, not fucking protested, laughed at! Oh, did I mention this wasn't coming from Americans? Nope, it was in China! Oh, and did I also mention that it was Chineese school children doing the laughing! HAHHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH take that shit to the bank Geithner......or should I say "turbo tax it bitch".
Don't get me wrong, the economy going down the drain sucks. But we have had it coming for letting the corporation and it's international banking buddies run everything for so long, make us so complacent.
Face it, look at the divisiveness in this nation and look at where it's coming from, they are trying to get us all at each others throats, and for what reason? What are they engineering now? Got any ideas? I do, and it's why I'm farming (one of many reasons).
Now days I don't have to defend what I do for a living. Now days I know that what I'm doing is the right thing and that the whole "money" conversation, arguement baiting bullshit is worthless. What's that money worth if we wake up tommorrow and it's just paper?
And why am I not all that worried about it?
Just from the observations I have made as a farmer.
In the past 12 months I have had call after call after e-mail after e-mail after visit, after visit, after conversation about "getting ready". And with who? Well mostly people who know how to live this way but also from those snotty suburbanite assholes who are now scared to death because they have been laid off and can't find a job, suddenly farming is an option, maybe the only one!
I've also seed new options popping up in my neck of the woods. Small mom and pop thrift stores, indoor yardsales, natural goods suppliers and livestock growers popping up everywhere. And for the most part, it isn't junk but things people can and will use, now and when things get harder........and to boot these people are doing this full time.
Indeed my little town is ready and I am glad to have my business be a part of it. In the end I win!
6 comments:
I should also add that I get that question from people who used to farm. For some reason their belief is that if they couldn't "make it" that I won't and that farming "is hard".
No shit Sherlock, farming is damn hard, particularly if your doing it the way god meant for it to be done.....self sustainably. Inebitably it's always the asshat that did everything "by the book" and failed. I wonder why that is?
Let it all hang out!
You are seeing the death throes of the workers attitude. i.e. "Is that ALL you do?"
So many people think money is the only way to go. Must have money, need money, got to go get more money. It's all B.S. They don't even know money is created out of thin air.
What these people don't understand, is that the human race can live without money! We could all have a good life if everyone farmed. Sheep wool makes clothing, trees make shelter, and gardening produce fills the gut.
If you haven't seen it yet, go find on Google video a series of videos starting with "Century of the Self." It's a good 4 hours long. You will see how Edward Bernays helped create this attitude you are seeing in folks today. Hubby and I call this phenomenon "Bernays Haze."
The other videos are "Power of Nightmares" and another one I can't remember the name of just now.
Just be prepared for any surprises. If things go downhill pretty fast, they will be zoning in on people like you for food and may resort to crime to get it.
Alan, I meet those asshats all the time too. In fact they were featured on BBC World News America a few weeks ago. They were referred to as "preparers". The reporter visited a man in suburbia who has stashed 3 months of water and store bought freeze dried goods if I recall correctly. He also bought a wood burning stove that he has not used yet and will only use if the generators somehow fail. All in a McMansion.
What I thought was, "these people found a new Cadillac" meaning that they found a way to live luxuriously even in an emergency but they wouldn't live like that to help to prevent that emergency nor do they foresee that after 3 months they will be very screwed because they are not skilled at all if the report was accurate. And no mention of saving seeds. The lawns were pristine and the landscaping inedible.
Good luck on your local campaign. We have more of our fair share of extreme corruption in Chicago too. Big demonstration coming with the Tea Party this week and a counter one from the left. Stay tuned to regional news to see the clash of the titans if it turns into dog eat dog as it is bound too.
more power too ya man!
y'know, after that post I'm really starting to respect you because most people are too scared to say stuff like that because "oh my god! if I offend some of my readers they won't keep coming back so my readership will drop and eventually i'll be preaching to the choir or maybe they'll just lynch me!"
Wusses.
Like I said, keep it up!
Thanks for the support and the information guys as well as for putting up with me ranting and raving as it is greatly appreciated as well as cathartic and sometimes needed in my line of work.
Hope you are all enjoying the blog and the growing season!
if you where building a house i dont think you missed a nail!!!!!
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