A Lost Art

I was driving through the country on my way home and I was taking in all the colors of the leaves and broad color spectrum that inhabits the Midwest. What caught my attention was a sign in front of a farmhouse advertising commercial property for sale. I've always had a place in my heart for farms and the families who earn their living caring for livestock and harvest. I never experienced life on the farm, but I still, at 23 listen with amazement as my dad describes the chores that were his around my grandparents farm. I have a deep respect for the families that today continue the tradition of caring for the family farm. I am sadden whenever I see a "For Sale" sign in front of a farmhouse. I understand the reasons why, yet at the same time I don't. This land is not only fertile with nutrients for gardens, and livestock, but also with stories that have been passed down from generation to generation, it holds the lessons of hard work and commitment, the importance of family, truth and value. This vital property is far too often grazed, covered with cement and becomes nothing more than an erection of drywall and vinyl that offers what we already had: quiet peace, contentment, and appreciation. In the process we loose what we need most: tangible life lessons.