I have a confession. Lately, I’ve been envious, jealous, whatever word you want to use, I’ve been feeling it.
I‘ve been avoiding the next item on my list. “Remember to be thankful all day long.” I really struggle with this one, especially as of late. I tend to look at things with an “I’ll be happy when..” perspective.
So what is causing my jealousy? Well, ever since I’ve come to Torah, I’ve been noticing how “everyone” is moving somewhere new and homesteading. It’s almost like that’s what we’re “supposed” to do. I realize this is probably just tunnel vision and I’m sure there’s plenty of Torah followers in cities and whatnot. But still. Homesteading in the middle of nowhere looks like my kind of living. I’m ready to pack my bags and go!
But I can’t. My husband is a farmer. You might be thinking farming isn’t too far from homesteading. But modern day American farming is just not what it used to be. Depending who you are and which side you take, this could be a good thing or bad.
This is how I look at it. Farmers today have to acquire more and more land. They have to get bigger and more equipment to keep up with adding more land. They are limited to which crops they can grow based on what the elevators nearby will buy. They have to spray chemicals and spread fertilizer to get the best yield. I don’t think today’s farming is sustainable.
Now, I’m not bashing farmers, nor am I bashing my husband. I know they have to do what they have to do in order to make a profit. The problem is the system. They “have” to do what the system “makes” them do if they want to make a living. Not only that, but in the last couple years, my husband essentially had parts of land taken from him. He still owns it, pays taxes on it, but is told what he can and can’t do with that land.
Farming is what my husband loves, and it has blessed us this far. I’m sure my husband could continue to make this work for us, but.. at what cost? I can’t help think that the odds are stacked against farmers, and I think it’ll just continue to get worse. That’s why I would love to homestead instead.
Ok, it feels like all I’m doing is complaining. So I’m going to make a list of what I’m thankful for.
I do have to admit, I feel a little better now. Now that I got that out for the whole world to see, maybe I can finish #5 on my list.
