Breathing on Both Sides

Pastoralism and farming are highly romanticized.  The most obvious example of this is the Foster Farms chicken packaging you see at Safeway, which shows a quaint little farmhouse on a green, grassy hill and a gallant rooster.  While in reality this corporation runs slaughterhouse factories that kill thousands of chickens a day.  Real talk. 

A more nuanced example of this dichotomy, between the reality of agriculture and the idea or image of it, is found in my life working on a small organic farm.  When my friends come to visit they see the sunshine, the flowers, rolling hills, goofy animals and think that life on a farm is all fun and games.  But of course, it’s not. 

It’s a lot of hard work.  Maintaining the energy, focus and drive to accomplish everything that needs to be done is a task in and of itself—not to mention actually spending the three hours pulling weeds.  The good news is, with my job there is always a trade-off.  Going to the farmers market, harvesting vegetables and making them pretty, taking care of animals, these are the joys of farming.  Not to mention living in a beautiful place, eating unbelievably well, and working outside all the time.

My point is that in order to make these enjoyable activities possible we have to do some not-so-fun stuff sometimes, like weeding thistles in the hot sun or digging a thousand holes.  This creates balance.  Life cannot always be easy, if it is something is wrong.  It’s like how vegetables are good for you but when you’re eight they taste like shit compared to Captain Crunch.  What comes easy or “naturally” isn’t always best.

When I swim, I breathe on the right.  As a result my stroke isn’t perfectly symmetrical.  I have been practicing breathing on my left and it’s fuckin’ difficult.  It feels awkward and sometimes I inhale water.  In short, it’s not what my body wants to do naturally, although I know it’s what’s best for me.  Like swimming, farming (and everything else for that matter) requires a degree of work beyond the limits of what is comfortable and easy. 

This is how life should be: symmetrical.  So next time I am out in the field weeding the peppers in the five o’clock summer heat, I will remind myself of the pleasures of life (like drinking a cold glass of orange juice) and accept the fact that sometimes shit is tough and that's okay.