Agree! And most of them were so busy just trying to earn a living and raise their family, they didn't have time to pat themselves on the back, nor to write books of "what and how they survived..."
Looking at 1910-1930 era, found this, and thought it was interesting...
mandakzerotill.org
In the changing world of Richardton, farming gets viewed as an advantaged preparation for a probable life away. Renae speaks for a widely shared view:
So we’re telling the kids, see, we’re giving you something that lots of kids will never ever have. And I don’t want them to feel like they owe me for that, but we have sacrificed a lot for those kids to have this life. And I think they have thrived by doing this. They can go out in the world and do anything. They know so many things. Town people, no offense to town people but, a lot of them have such a narrow idea of what the world really is. If it isn’t in a book or it isn’t this way, they don’t understand that and my kids have the best of both worlds because they know what it’s like to work harder or farm or have.... I don’t know, it’s just a whole different way of life. You know so many things. You know the reaction of one thing to the other. You’re aware of the weather, not because, "well, it’s raining today, I can’t play softball." That just doesn’t happen here. They’re more aware of what the real world is like. And I think when they go out into the world they will be able to relate to so many different things because they’ve had this.
Growing up on a farm becomes valuable for the virtues of realism, practicality, and internal character that it instills. Renae continues:
I want them to be able to go out in the world and not be afraid to work for what they want. I want them to know honesty. . . And loyal and committed to what they do. We’re very committed to this or we wouldn’t be doing this. So I think by them seeing how committed we are that they can be committed to something when they go off into the world, too. And whatever that is, that’s their choice. I don’t care what my children decide to do. Just so that they go out and work hard at it. Apply themselves. . . . And be good people. Go into a community, if it’s not this one, go into a community and be good people.
Good people. Someone who works hard, someone who’s honest, probably those two major things. Someone who doesn’t think about themselves all the time. They’re willing to help someone out or give of themselves and not be afraid that they’re not getting anything back. |
