I want to be a farmer. I dream of living a self-sustained lifestyle on a small plot of land somewhere beautiful. Cows, pigs, chooks, sheep frollick about, live a happy life and then end up on my dinner table. I grow all sorts of wonderful herbs and vegetables. I make all sorts of jams, chutneys and preserves. If we need anything we can't make ourselves we barter with our neighbours. Basically I want to live at River Cottage.
I've loved Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for about seven years now - I even named one of my cars after him. I love his ideas on food, animal husbandry, life in general. If you haven't seen his shows or read his books, I highly recommend them. See here
There is one little glitch in my dream. It's a tiny one. I have no idea how to be a farmer. Oh, academically I have an idea, but if you plonked me on a piece of land somewhere I'd probably be curled up in the foetal position screaming for my Foxtel remote within 10 minutes. While I love the idea of this fairytale life, I suspect that's just what it is – a fairytale.
I'm a big believer in chasing your dreams. If you have a passion for something you should pursue it because we're only here once and what is life worth living for if you can't do what you love? Though what if you have a dream that can never be realised. Is it bad to dream about something that can only ever be a dream? Like me being a farmer? My 6ft 3inch husband wanting to be a jockey? My 40-year-old friend wanting to be an Olympic sprinter?
Can we only dream of things that may actually possibly come true? Do we always have to chase our dreams? Can't we just dream for the sake of dreaming?
Hmmm these are the questions I'm pondering today.
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Put your dream farm on hold for a second lovely. When T, Detts and I went for a walk to the other night, we were picking out houses that we could all live in along Bradleys Head Road .... YES we do have to all have our dreams!!! xxx
ReplyDeleteNow that would be a strange little commune!
ReplyDeleteI think we can have some of our dreams. If you truly truly truly wanted to be a farmer you could and would. If the idea gave you reason to jump out of bed in the morning - you'd make it happen. You mustn't want it bad enough otherwise you could have it I reckon.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the jockey thing though :-)
I love Hugh too. It's my secret indulgence on the lifestyle channel. The man knows how to get the most out of life! Love it, live with passion.
ReplyDeleteHugh is great! I love River Cottage.
ReplyDeleteOne of my dreams is to own one of the witches houses on Johnston St (exceedingly unlikely). Another is to live in Japan (I'd say equally unlikely). And to take a year or two off and just travel ... if I'm lucky, that may happen in 20-25 years!
I've never seen/heard of River Cottage.
ReplyDeleteLaughed at the 'screaming for my foxtel remote' comment. :-)
I think dreaming for dreaming's sake is fine. For the very, very unlikely.
But your dream of living on a farm, while perhaps a long term goal, is certainly not unattainable.
Joel and I have a similar dream too. An acre or two. A vege garden for food. A cottage garden for pleasure. Chooks. Ducks. (I'm still happy to buy my milk).
And a foxtel remote. (Kidding. Am a week from ditching
I guess part of the reason my farm dream remains a dream is because I suspect the reality would be quite different from how I imagine it! But I still like to dream...
ReplyDeleteSarah did you see one of those houses sold the other week for just under $5 million! Maybe we can buy s couple and live next to each other!