The art of husbandry has been all but lost in our society. Perhaps a resurgence lately as a few enterprising souls have decided to jump into hydroponics and try to capitalize on our new cash crop. I remember a time when I was young in Western Colorado where students were allowed time off of school for harvest as workers were needed in the fields. Daylight savings is a hold over from that time, providing extra light during critical hours for work in the fields.
We used to acutely know the cost of food. Today I barely even notice how much the meal replacement protein bar cost me at the Chevron gas station. We can buy and consume a delicious pizza with vegetables, protein and dairy products in less time then it would have taken me to crank start that old Massey Ferguson tractor that we used to plow fields with.
With the loss of agrarian culture has also come the loss of understanding the value of hard work and perseverance. We used to know that the barren field would become a lush crop of corn given enough time and steady effort. We knew that by showing up everyday and doing the basics that the sprouts would come, followed by the stalks and eventually the ears.
Now we expect a bounty on day 1, we expect the reward first, we expect the discount to be applied at the point of sale. We just do not understand anymore that strength grows, roots grip slow and the sunlight brings flowers. However, just because I can microwave my popcorn, and eat egg whites from a carton does not mean that the laws of the universe have changed.
If you want to grow strong, become rooted in a strong soil and blossom in the sun then we need to sow the seeds of hard work. You just cannot get past that. No lasting success comes by anything else other then hardwork. You can take a shortcut, but you will pay the price eventually. The laws of the universe that govern organic growth remain the same. We get what we sow.
You can work smart, in fact, I would daresay that the roots of American success was the brilliance of the average farmer. To be successful on the land, you work hard and smart. It is not an either, nor an or. The roots of almost all of our heritage is in the worn and callused hands of a man or woman that clawed their way through life by working the soil to produce their livelihood.
So I am going to start complaining tomorrow that my email is not syncing, my Skype calls are echoing, and my spreadsheets are not calculating. I would be wise to remember and consider focusing on the most important task that will get me the organic growth that I want. I think I have a hint – it is probably going to be the hard one.
Guy Reams
365 Alumni
64 Days Left to 1st Marathon
