The Recovering Farmer

Sunday, August 29, 2010

My Forgetterer is Getting Better

I seem to have been in a bad head space for the last week and it has resulted in some real harebrained results. Left Wednesday morning to spend some time in Winnipeg, doing business and, yes, you guessed it, play some golf. When I got to my kids’ house Wednesday evening I realized my laptop was not in my brief case. Panic hit. My first inclination was that it had been stolen. Then I realized I just might have left it home, although the power chord and the mouse were in my briefcase. I phoned home and sure enough, my wife said it was sitting on my desk, ready to go. Anxiety hit. I needed it. How could I spend the next days with out the laptop. Long story short, that is why this blog is being posted a few days late. As it turns out, life does go on without a computer. In fact sometimes I think of how good our parents had it without cell phones, laptops, tvs and other forms of technology. The world must have been so much smaller in those days. Perhaps if we could shrink our world our worries could be so much less. When I see what goes on outside my little world I can’t help but feel depressed. The flip side is that a lot of the stuff happening in the World, to other people, brings back some perspective to my own world.

Had lunch with a friend this week who shared some of his own struggles with addictions. Had my world not expanded I would never have had the opportunity to meet this gentleman. Although my heart ached when he shared some of his journey, I was also able to take home some lessons for myself as I try to make sense of the world I live in. Changes one’s perspective when you take the time to listen to others, while at the same time working on your own issues. My hope is that in some way I was able to be an encouragement to him as he was to me.

Played golf with some government muckety mucks (I say that with all due respect) this week. It was interesting to hear their perspective on agriculture. They expressed frustration at their inability to address many of the issues that need addressing. One in particular expressed frustrations at agriculture being one crisis after another. He would so much like to be able to implement policies that would see agriculture succeed in the long term. I thought, wait a minute. These are the same frustrations that many farmers have as well. Perhaps, just perhaps the goals of farmers and government are the same. But, I suppose, as long as we can barely keep up with crisis management, other long term goals seem to get lost.

Perhaps that is the same issues I have in my life. Crisis management. Never being able to address long term goals, in fact, sometimes wondering what my long term goals actually are. It seems that my emotional compass has become demagnetized. My emotional gas tank is empty. I need to retool. I need to refocus. Spending time with others helps in regaining a solid footing. As I have mentioned before, relationships give us identity, direction and purpose. Call someone you know who is struggling and take the time to listen to their story. I know it will help you as you continue your own journey. Make it a good one.

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