Sometimes I just get so tired of peoples (mainly "city people") comments over what I call "myths'......
Yes, we chose this life and we like it. This is how it is when you farm and live in the county. We aren't complaining and we live here...So, why are others complaining about it??
"You can't be snowed in-we are out"......
Yep, and you live in town where you don't have drifts because you have buildings to stop or slow down the wind. We live in row crop country--that means few buildings, and few trees to slow down the drifts....... Roads in town (especially this small town) are limited-they are cleared much sooner than the county roads, which go for miles and miles.
"But, you have tractors"
Yes, and tractors get stuck too. Only one has a cab. Its -7 out, you want to be out in a tractor in that weather? Well, neither do we, but we do it anyway. Only one can handle feeding big bales, and that is the same tractor that takes the snow blade. So, do we clear our driveway or do we feed our stock to keep them alive?? Its not a garden tractor, it is a very involved job to remove a bale spike and replace it with the blade, not to mention changing hydrolic hoses around as well.
If we get the tractor stuck and can't feed, our animals die. That is our livelihood people. You gonna come pull out our big tractor with your little car?? Nope, didn't think so.
"Just come stay in town till the storm is gone"
OK, and make trips twice a day back to the farm to feed cows, horses, poultry, check calves and fencing?? If we can't get out once, how are we going to get out multiple times?
"I don't know why you can't leave.....if the propane or electric is out, just leave"
All the more reason to stay--that means we heat the house with wood. You just don't go off and leave a wood fire going unattended (can we say structure fire here??). If we don't keep heat going, water pipes break. And, that also means hauling water and chopping ice for stock to drink--several times a day.
Then you add in the stay at home mom/homeschooling issues....
"I don't know why you can't do it, after all, you don't work, you should have plenty of time"...
Sorry Charlie, farming IS work.
I homeschool my kids-that takes time.
I cook and clean (although some days you may not tell it!!)
And, I DO work. I do childcare. Some days I do it at my home, other times I go to their home. You think that isn't an important job?? Lets let you miss work a few times because your childcare provider tells you she would rather do something else that day instead of watching your children. See how that goes over with your supervisor.....
I teach on Fridays.
I write for several websites and publications. This means I sometimes have deadlines. Because I don't go into a "traditional office" doesn't mean I don't work.
I also do volunteer work as well on a regular base.
"You can afford it, since you don't work, you must have money"
See the above. Then read all my previous posts about how I shop at Aldi, I do the CVS and Walgreen's bonus bucks, and a coupon queen, we raise our own pork, fish, eggs and beef, we have an orchard, vineyard, and a garden and we can, freeze and dehydrate our food. I play the sales/coupon games and can feed my family of 5 on $250-$300 a month by cooking from scratch. I bake our bread. I do the Neilson scanning and MyPoints for points that convert into cash, gift cards or prizes . I sew, mend, recycle, recreate, free cycle, ebay, and craigslist so that I can be a stay at home mom.
By doing this, I am saving the same amount I used to spend when I did work full time. I don't pay for child care now (instead I earn by providing it), I cook from scratch because I have the time and we aren't going out to eat 5 nights a week because it is faster, no dry cleaning, no having to buy work clothes, no having to hire someone to mow the lawn, till the garden, or paint because I have the time to do it now.
I chose to stay home to serve my family. I believe I had my children for me to raise, not someone else. I am fortunate enough to have a husband who supports me, and has a good job. I realize that doesn't work for everyone. I have many friends who stay home, and just as many or more who work. That's fine, but this is what our family has chosen for us at this stage of our lives. We sacrifice for it by choice.
"What do you mean, your husband is the head of the house"
I love this one. Yes, I believe my husband is the head of our house. (That doesn't mean I don't at times disagree with him...). But if my husband says we are or aren't going somewhere or doing something, that's it.
I had someone argue with me to come into town for an event last week. My husbands last words before he went to sleep that morning (he was on night shift) were "don't get out unless its an emergency". We were down to one running 4 wheel drive at the time, and we had snow and ice-our cars couldn't even get out of the garage. Had I taken it out and gotten it stuck, he would have had no way to get to work. Yet I had a woman argue with me, "he would never know, if he was sleeping".....
But I would know...(and he'd know if i got stuck!!). She told me he had no business telling me what to do.....
Whatever.
"But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God." 1 Corth 11:3. The Bible has many more references as well, on the same subject.
picture source: rlrouse.com
No comments:
Post a Comment