Una campesina por siempre--A farmer for always (Wednesday, April 27--Day 169)

There are few things I know for certain. In fact, the more I learn, the smaller that list becomes. But there is at least one things at this stage of my life that I can say with confidence and with gusto--I will always be a farmer. The obvious similarities need no explanation. Brilliant, hard working, nature loving. Obvious. What I am referencing is something found at the core of a great farmer. It is at the center of who he is and at the base of all he does.
Picture a farmer as the individual who can feed his family from his crops and from what his neighbors supplement, and he still has enough left over to sell to his community for a small profit. This farmer--a great farmer--always has the bigger picture in mind. He knows what his end product will look like. He knows what he will be able to improve upon years in the future. He knows what he is working towards. But in order to move towards that final picture, he must live in the present moment. He must pay attention to the most minute details. He must be attentive and attuned to his surroundings. He must know the ins and the outs of whatever crops he is working with. He must constantly keep in mind the impacts of the environment. Whatever changes happen--be it a slight change in the weather or a minor quirk in a particular plant--he can respond accordingly. He can make the necesary alterations to his routine or to the environment so that his product still continues on the path of his choosing. This does not make him manipulative--it makes him empathetic. He pays attention so that when a plant or an animal, at whatever stage of development, appears off track he knows how to fix it. This does not mean he is all-knowing. He is just wise. His wisdom comes from his ability to listen--to listen to himself, to listen to his surroundings, and to listen to others. A great farmer knows that his most treasured resource is the shared knowledge of others. As an individual, a farmer is just one man, with one mind and one history and limitted experiences. But as a community, a farmer becomes many, with many minds sharing their unique histories and unlimited experiences. As a community, there is nothing a farmer cannot do. Yes, he will make mistakes--he is human. Yes, there will be rough years when nature doesn't provide--he's human. But a great farmer will weather through and a really great farmer will remain optimistic. In this way, a great farmer--with the help of those around him--will carry himself and the world on his shoulders, providing the priceless gift of life throughthe healthy food he produces with care, love, and consiousness.
That is a great farmer, and that is who I want to be. I, too, have an end goal in mind--a bigger picture of a future world where we live in community with each other and in community with nature. It is idealitic, yes, but no to the point of being impossible. I have been detailing it for months, if not years, and hundreds of thousands of others share the same image. Of course, I have not yet reached the level of 'great farmer' so the image is still lacking in some of the finer details. But the end goal is there, and now I just have to reach it. You may wonder where exactly is the farmwork in that. It's there. If the goal is to live in community, then it is my job to develop the minds of those with whom I will be living. Remember though, a farmer is not manipulative. He is empathetic. This is not about brainwashing, scare tactics, guilt trips, or patronization. Tis is about planting ideas, supporting growth, giving strength, and providing resources. My toold are dialogues, the help of those around me, the surrounding environment, the history, and the power of hope. My actions are like those of a farmer. As a farmer knows the intricacies of each individual specias, I too must learn how each person differs from the next. Every crop is different. Some need more water and others more sun. Some grow best when planted beside another specieas and others need their space. Some grow best in the hot summer and others thrive in the frigid cold. Even two plants of the same species must be seen as unique individuals. Depending on what stage of growth they are in, one may need shade while the other may need to be trimmed. People are no different, and if I hope to converse with them, to inspire them, and to build community then I have to learn what makes each person click, what talent each person has to offer, what each person loves most, and where each person needs to be supported. Empathy. To do that, just as a farmer must consider the qualities of the plant's surrounding environment, I too must note the outside forces that have impacted and continue to impact each person. Where they came from. What pressures they feel. What responsabilities they have. Who has inspired them. What theyfear. The important thing to remember throughout all this is that I cannot do it alone. I must be humble enough to accept help from others, curious enough to ask questions, and wise enough to listen to the very people with whom I am speaking. We have the advantage of living at a time when information and support can be shared with virtually anyone around the world. At the same time, we live in a time when the actions we take impact everyone living on this planet. I am not looking to save the world. I am human. I am not looking to build a cult of drones. You're human. But I have hope and I have endurance. Combine that with the sense o urgency that we face, and I have adrenalyn.
Now I just have to practice and to observe. For some people, this may be the first time that they receive a seed like this. A new idea entirely, or perhaps no one has planted it quite this before. I don't know how they'll respond, so I wait it out. Note the subtle changes and be ready to react to any sign of life. Maybe the response will be positive, and the concepts I planted will sprout. Maybe I'll see no changes at all, but I will trust that years down the line that seed will still be there, waiting for just the right conditions or just the perfect farmer to come along and give that seed life. Maybe they have grown so accustomed to this seed that they have become numb to it all. They have subconsiously built up a resistence such that the things I say are hackneyed. So I learn to say it another way, to plant the seed differently, to support it with different nutrient, to team it up with other ideas. Maybe they are intentionally immune. They are so morally opposed to what I have to say that they will use all their possible strength to counteract my efforts. So I learn to study their surroundings, to see if something is currently blocking their sunshine or is something deep within their roots is sucking their energy. Or maybe I am not dealing with a seed at all. The seed was planted long ago by someone else, and now I have a fully living plantling on the verge of perfection. But it isn't their yet, and I must choose how to react. Do I give it physical personal support and prop it up as it grows? Do I occasionally douse it with other elements knowing that it is fully capable of extracting what it needs on its own? Do I uproot it and plant it in alongside other species that will provide nutritional support? Or do I let it go, trusting that it is strong enough and ready to continue on the right path on its own?
I am a farmer. I plant seeds. I give support. I learn. I am helped. I listen. I have hope. The sun is almsot up, and it is time to start working. Winter will be cold this year, but the weather optimist in me tells me that we are bound to have a beautiful spring.