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NEMO | Let me say first off that I have never worked in the corporate environment, nor have I been actively engaged in farming where it is my direct source of income. However, I have friends and family that are in each of those environments and the ones who are working the corporate ladder so to speak, admit that they are less happy working long hours for a large salary than they were when they were working a little overtime at an hourly rate. The ones who farm for a living, will give you mixed reviews, but all will tell you that it is a better way of life. In both situations, the hours are long and the work is hard. There are two phrases that you used, that I have heard all my life, that I believe bear vastly different meanings from one person to the next. Quality of life is that balance that you speak of, finding that ratio of work time vs personal/family time that fits your lifestyle, relationship with those closest to you and maybe more importantly, your relationship with yourself and God. That inner core that only you and God knows, the part of you that defines who you really are, not what other people want you to be, not how your work defines you, not your possessions, nor your bank account or social status. Pursuit of happiness, IMHO, kind of runs parrallel with that in that it is not what our income level is or social class but how we truely feel about ourselves at the end of the day. How do we treat those we come in contact with each day? Do we conduct ourselves with honesty and integrity each day and treat others with respect? I believe that if we can look ourselves in the mirror at the end of the day and know deep down that we were able to do that to the best of our ability, and feel good about that, then I believe that we have found that happiness and quality of life that we all pursue. My Dad grew up on a small farm, got a college degree and worked in a large corporation as a draftsman before returning back to farming when I was 6yrs old. I grew up on a small farm where it was the only source of income for the family. There were some pretty lean years and yes the work was hard and hours were long, but in all that Dad always found time for the family and time for vacations. I will say that the time spent with Dad and my brother, working side by side on the farm, were far more rewarding than any vacation we ever took. I often tell my wife that those years were the defining time in my life. It was character building at it's best. My mother was a stay at home mom during those years and we never had health insurance. She took a job at the USDA when my brother and I moved on to college due to the need for a supplement income as well as some needed health insurance for Dad and her. It turned into a carrer for her and has been very benificial to them. My job requires some seasonal long hours and there are some days that I leave in the morning before the kids wake up and get home after they are in bed, but those days are very few. I would not be willing to do that on a regular basis. Dawn, I believe that it is not what you get out of life, but what you give and there-in lies the path of the pursuit of happiness and the end result is the quality of life we are looking for. There now, why couldn't I have just said that in the beginning instead of all that jibberish? Geesh. | |
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A Perspective on Farming vs. a Corporate Job
