Sometimes I wish I was brought up living on a little farm and all I knew how to do was milk the cows and collect eggs. I wish all I ever knew about the outside world was what I read in the out-of-date secondhand school books I had as a child because that’s all my parents were able to afford. If I lived on a little farm, I would grow up to be so loyal to my family that I would take over the farm when they died simply to keep it in the family. I would then teach my kids how to milk the cows and collect eggs and when it would be time for me to die, I would die content and satisfied with my achievements, because I would have achieved what I had set out to achieve. My kids would then take over the farm to keep it in the family too and it would continue like this for generations. My great great grandchildren would look at photographs of me on the farm and say, ‘Wow, can you imagine being alive then?’ That’s what I do when I look at old photographs of my grandparents. I look at the captured moment of happiness and that’s what lives on forever.Has it ever occurred to you that the less one has and knows, the happier they are? The more one knows about the world, the more one wants to explore, and the more torn one feels. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in fact, it’s exactly like me, and it's called ambition, but I do wonder sometimes, would my emotions fluctuate so much, if I didn’t have all these ambitions that I can’t possibility do, all at the same time, and which make me feel like I’m not achieving my goals because there is too much that I want to achieve? If I had a simple life on a farm for instance, and never knew any better, would I be happier?
Do you think you would be more content if you wanted less?
I have far less now than I had in the UK. I am happier in my new life. I lead a simple, relaxed life and love it. I would love your farm life too.
ReplyDeleteThe more we have, the more we want and that does not always produce happiness.
I think it's imagination that gets in our way. People with less vivid imaginations tend to not get so upset over the things they haven't accomplished. Those of us whose imaginations spin out of control have a tough time accepting we can't always live the dreams we have in our heads.
ReplyDeleteGLynis: I know what you mean. I parents live on Ithaca :)
ReplyDeleteTracy: You have a very valid point there!
I grew up on that little farm with little money with second hand everything and but knew all about the world because my parents taught us. We all watched the news together and discussed it. When my daddy worked away he would send the newspapers from where ever he was so our horizons were broadened. I now live next door to that little farm, have a little farm of my own and have raised an awesome son with little or nothing but he too has learned, the same way I did about the world. We still sit down at meals and talk about it all. I have never owned a new vehicle, a new house, a new appliance (well major ones) but I don't feel poor by any means. We are happy, healthy and take care of each other. I think life is what you make of it. Having lots of money isn't everything but sometimes we all think a bit more would be wonderful but as long as you're happy where you are, you're able to learn, stretch your wings and be willing to explore, anything is possible. I have vast knowledge of many things from all the different things I've done in life and though I'm not a college graduate I do know how to run three sucessful businesses, take care of multi cultural families and talk politics with the best of them. I think a person can be anything they want if they put their minds to it. Even in simply lives everything is possible.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts. It is so wonderful to read what's happening in other lives.
Take care and have a blessed evening.