A Matter of Perception

I follow the US Ag Ambassadors blog.

And I like it.

But I was amused by this entry:

Before the Snow Flies

It starts off:

I just came home for winter break to this list:

· Move the cows

· Repair the windbreaks

· Drain the tanks

· Check the antifreeze

· Fill the holes in the chicken coop

· Chop wood

· Plug in the tank heaters

· Locate the heat lamps

I look at and dread at all that needs to be done before the snow flies. There seems like so much to do in so little time.

And it goes on:

As I sat at the table this morning, I came up with every excuse I could to get out of doing my portion of the chores for winter break. As I came up with more reasons, the more I started to realize that I did not want to do any of this when the weather gets bad. I realized I should probably put the effort into figuring out when and how to do it rather than how to con my brothers into doing it for me. I would love to put off my portion, but I know it is better to get it done now than freezing my fingers when the wind was up, and the temperatures were down.

It's a matter of perception of course.  I have a "to do" list everyday, but my outdoor or manual labor items are always at the back of it.  Always.  When I was young I dreamed of having a list like this, or work that was outdoors, in agriculture, and has a compact, to some degree, beginning and end.  

I can't say that I've ever imagined that in dread.

Which may get to what a person has done, up to that point, in life, I guess, and what a person knows of what other people do.  I tend to find most of us have very little perception on the lives of others.  Litigating lawyers do, because we explore those lives.

I wonder what this student will do.  Whatever it is, the student may find that days that had a list like that were the best ones that they ever had.  Meaningful work that had morning and evening horizons, and which took them outdoors, and which were surrounded by people who loved them.  Not everyone's work is like that.  Most peoples' in fact, isn't.