Farm Therapy – for Kids and Politicians

As a young teen I lived several summers on my uncle’s dairy farm. This junior high student couldn’t wait for school to be out so he could move to the country for another great three months. After the first summer I knew what the routine was, out of bed at 5:30, feed and milk the cows, back to the house for a huge breakfast and then begin the work day. The work day could include anything from bailing hay to cleaning barn. On special days my cousin and I would go to the feed mill with my uncle. Late afternoon was the time for the second milking of the day. After supper we would often be treated to an ice cream cone at a place we called Scoop Faloon’s. By evening, we were ready to go to bed. There was neither the energy nor time to get into trouble.

I learned several lessons from working on the farm. Working hard gives one a greater appreciation of hard work. Hard work also gives an individual a true sense of accomplishment, a sense of self-respect. Self-respect stands in contrast to a narcissistic sense of entitlement and pseudo self-esteem. Furthermore, working hard gives a person a greater appreciation of the value of private property and the investment of time, energy, and capital another put into gaining the fruit of their labor.

I believe that many young people today would be served well by a little ‘farm therapy.’ A few months of hard work and guidance on how to do a job well could go a long way in curbing their desire to get into trouble. Nursing a sick animal back to health and salving the blisters on one’s own hands can help in the healing of a troubled heart.

Many politicians, especially those whose entire careers revolve around getting elected and staying elected could also benefit from a little ‘farm therapy.’ If Joe and Mary Politician spent a little time on the farm, they may be less likely to impose unrealistic and burdensome regulations on farmers who are trying to make a living on the family farm. If Joe and Mary spent a few weeks hod-carrying for a mason, they would probably be less likely to think they are entitled to redistribute the mason’s income to an individual who is unwilling to work. If Joe and Mary had to successfully run a business through difficult times, they would be unlikely to legislate directives that rob business owners of their profits and thwart the possibility of the growth of that business. A little contact with the real world might help these politicians realize the difference between this real world and the one they have created in their own minds while they have existed inside the Beltway.

Young people need to appreciate the value of hard work, theirs and that of others. So do politicians.