Elder Wisdom: Living Like A Human

Winter 2010/2011 I travelled in Chile and Argentina, working as a WWOOF volunteer on organic farms. One family had a tradition of eating a few crackers with jam and coffee for breakfast and then working hard manual labor till noon. This did not cut it for me.... halfway through an acre of 5' tall weeds and I threw down my hoe and machete and jumped the fence into a neighboring apple orchard. I started tearing into those apples with a vengance, one right after the other. A man came walking down the dirt lane toward me, and I figured I was busted.

"I apologize for eating your apples, sir, but I am very hungry".

The stranger smiled, "They are not my apples, and if they were I would not care. Would you like to eat the ripest peach you've ever tasted? Yes? Follow me."

When we arrived at his home- a round structure made of mud and thatch- the man told me he had built it himself "sin un clavo" (without one nail). The windows were made from windshields from cars and coke bottles, and a large gnarly face was sculpted on the wall. The inside temperature was at least 20 degrees cooler than outside, and there was no AC.

The peach was indeed the ripest, juiciest fruit I had ever tasted, and I sat on the tailgate of an old pickup full of fresh oregano to eat and talk.

"What are you doing here in Argentina?" The farmer asked, "Are you here to stay or just visiting? If you return to the US, what will you do?"

My answer to all his questions was "I don't know". I was at the crossroads.

"I made alot of money in the city when I was younger" he pensively began, "It is another life- always busy but with nothing to do. That world- of building and computers and lawyers and real estate and busy-ness.... that world has written its own end! (Este mundo se escribe su propio fin!) Stay close to the soil, the plants, the children, the animals. There will always be something to do."

I thanked him profusely and headed back to the weed jungle with renewed inspiration. I think of his words often when I wonder if growing my own food and working bees with a bad back and low cash flow is a good idea. Then I think of the immense power carried by all these living organisms who are in a symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationship with my family. There is no better choice! I got all my bets riding on LIFE.

(all photos courtesy of pixabay.com)