The Farm - A Formative Chapter

Summers in my late teenage years and early twenties were not exactly chalk-full of easy-going days. I spent many hours working for my mom’s cousin, Paul, most often hauling hundreds of hay bales through the heat and humidity. Wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt compounded the discomfort, even if it was meant to offer protection from the deceptively sharp crop.

These conditions were difficult to push through some days, but I needed work and Paul’s declining health made it difficult for him to carry out many of his farm’s labour-intensive operations. It was a tough job, but I look back on it with a great deal of appreciation.

Time on that farm provided me with an appreciation for work, but also for slowing down. There were some days I worked alone, moving at the sluggish pace of the tractor and pushing through the dust and solitude. While it was isolating at times, it gave me a chance to reflect on life. There was no glory in the task at hand and I had to be okay with that because it just needed to get done.

Paul and I bonded over the years I worked for him, and we became companions through the summers. He was patient and understanding as I learned how to use his equipment - he never met my mistakes with a raised voice or a drawn out lecture. Instead, he accepted that I would learn from the experience and helped me resolve whatever problems had occurred. He was a father-figure to me, and he treated me like a son.

Sadly, Paul passed away in 2018 and I had moved to Toronto the year prior, leaving my short farming career behind. With every job I’ve worked since I try to remember and exemplify the lessons that my time on the farm instilled in me. I certainly owe it to those tough summer days for keeping me calm under pressure and for teaching me how to push through difficult situations.

My sister and her family now call the farm home, which means I can still enjoy the quiet countryside when I go to visit. One early November morning, I got to witness a beautiful autumn fog that hung over the rolling fields, while the rising sun illuminated the harvest haze. I’m glad I had my camera with me, as I was taken back to my days of farming and moments spent with Paul. It was an incredible formative chapter in my life.

*As an aside to tack on to the end of this post, here’s a lyric that came to me:

“If I had a chance for another try
I wouldn't change a thing
It's made me all of who I am inside”

Rite of Spring by Angels and Airwaves