Being a farmer means every day is the same
April 17, 2021 5:23 AM Subscribe
Kiran Sidhu talks to Wilf Davies, a Welsh farmer who’s had the same supper for 10 years and only left Wales to visit a farm in England 30 years ago (The Guardian). “People might think I’m not experiencing new things, but I think the secret to a good life is to enjoy your work. I could never stay indoors and watch TV. I hear London is a place best avoided. I think living in a city would be terrible – people living on top of one another in great tower blocks. I could never do it. Walking around the farm fills me with wonder.”
I'm most curious about the "big onion". Raw? Whole? Sliced? Fried?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:31 AM on April 17, 2021 [16 favorites]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:31 AM on April 17, 2021 [16 favorites]
I had the exact same reaction fFish and EndsOfInvention!
The onion must be fried, right? Done in the pan with the eggs and beans.
posted by Braeburn at 5:44 AM on April 17, 2021
The onion must be fried, right? Done in the pan with the eggs and beans.
posted by Braeburn at 5:44 AM on April 17, 2021
Boiled onions are pretty common as well. Would come out milder than a fried one. Could also be a pickled onion, which would make sense. Especially as a large pickled onion is a small cooking onion.
posted by ambrosen at 5:47 AM on April 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by ambrosen at 5:47 AM on April 17, 2021 [2 favorites]
I mean maybe he does similar work each day (sheep not having a planting cycle) but surely the changing seasons and the sheep reproductive cycle change things a bit though? (Yes I read the article.)
posted by Hypatia at 5:47 AM on April 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Hypatia at 5:47 AM on April 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
I'm most curious about the "big onion". Raw? Whole? Sliced? Fried?
My mom pretty routinely ate a large white onion with salt like the way most people eat potato chips.
posted by srboisvert at 5:58 AM on April 17, 2021 [6 favorites]
My mom pretty routinely ate a large white onion with salt like the way most people eat potato chips.
posted by srboisvert at 5:58 AM on April 17, 2021 [6 favorites]
I can confidently say that if there is a hell then his life sounds like it to me.
Each to their own and all that but I can't help but notice a lot of people SAY they hate cities until they live in one.
Also, yeah he doesn't sound neurotypical.
posted by sotonohito at 6:52 AM on April 17, 2021 [8 favorites]
Each to their own and all that but I can't help but notice a lot of people SAY they hate cities until they live in one.
Also, yeah he doesn't sound neurotypical.
posted by sotonohito at 6:52 AM on April 17, 2021 [8 favorites]
I had to look up what a paste sandwich was; some of the available flavors sound great but others might make a raw onion look good.
Davies sounds really happy with his life and his choices, which is far too rare. He might not want the company, but it would be so interesting to walk with him through his valley, because he would know so many details.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:55 AM on April 17, 2021 [15 favorites]
Davies sounds really happy with his life and his choices, which is far too rare. He might not want the company, but it would be so interesting to walk with him through his valley, because he would know so many details.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:55 AM on April 17, 2021 [15 favorites]
I’ve had the same supper for 10 years, even on Christmas Day: two pieces of fish, one big onion, an egg, baked beans and a few biscuits at the end.
No wonder he never married...
posted by panama joe at 6:58 AM on April 17, 2021 [5 favorites]
No wonder he never married...
posted by panama joe at 6:58 AM on April 17, 2021 [5 favorites]
that shallot of onions
posted by inire at 7:13 AM on April 17, 2021 [16 favorites]
posted by inire at 7:13 AM on April 17, 2021 [16 favorites]
This man embodies a paradox; his boringness is so extreme it sort of makes him interesting.
posted by Phanx at 7:21 AM on April 17, 2021 [11 favorites]
posted by Phanx at 7:21 AM on April 17, 2021 [11 favorites]
The universe is fractal. My Dad was, and my son is, quite restless, coursing over the planet experiencing The New and The Other. Me, I'm with Wilf . . . and Louis Agassiz, a C19th Swiss-American biologist, who famously gave up the jangle of travel to focus on the microcosmos of his back-yard. At the end of his life he was director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. When the Faculty reassembled one fall, a colleague met Agassiz in the mail-room and asked if he had had a good summer. “Wonderful”, replied the great man, “I worked my way half-way across my back yard”. For him clearly work – tracking beetles through the grass – and pleasure were one-and-the-same.
To see a World in aGrain of Sand pickled onion
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
posted by BobTheScientist at 7:28 AM on April 17, 2021 [32 favorites]
To see a World in a
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
posted by BobTheScientist at 7:28 AM on April 17, 2021 [32 favorites]
It's good to be reminded that other people want things so very different from what I want that it's almost incomprehensible that we're members of the same species. And, assuming they don't hurt other people while doing so, it's even better when they achieve it.
posted by eotvos at 7:41 AM on April 17, 2021 [35 favorites]
posted by eotvos at 7:41 AM on April 17, 2021 [35 favorites]
A lot of people may “say they hate cities until they live in one,” but I thought I always wanted to live in cities until I stopped living in one briefly. If I were him I might be wracked by FOMO, but as the person I am (having lived in and visited many cities), much of his life sounds divine (though not that particular dinner every night.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:04 AM on April 17, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:04 AM on April 17, 2021 [5 favorites]
I never got married, and it’s not something that I’ve ever regretted. It just didn’t happen, and I can say with confidence that I am happy as I am. I’m married to this farming life. I live with my sister. Like me, she had a stroke, but she is no longer mobile. I try to look after her as much as I can, but she needs more care than I am able to give. She has two carers who come in four times a day, and they are wonderful.
Bless this sweet man, who cries when people can't or won't get out of their cars to listen to a cuckoo calling.
This is a small and quiet life that's probably going to end when he does. I imagine when he's gone his farm will be sold or turned into something else. I'm glad he's been able to have a little impact on the wider world, even if he probably doesn't care all that much.
I definitely recommend that anyone who is charmed by the idea of this sort of life read some John Lewis-Stempel, particularly Meadowland: The Private Life of an English Field and The Running Hare: The Secret Life of Farmland for an idea of how important, and how fragile, this sort of existence is. I read Meadowland on my commutes in and out of central London and had to allow myself a little cry over the way he describes something as simple as walking out into a field and looking up at the stars (which I couldn't see when I left the train, because of all of the light pollution).
posted by fight or flight at 8:15 AM on April 17, 2021 [52 favorites]
Bless this sweet man, who cries when people can't or won't get out of their cars to listen to a cuckoo calling.
This is a small and quiet life that's probably going to end when he does. I imagine when he's gone his farm will be sold or turned into something else. I'm glad he's been able to have a little impact on the wider world, even if he probably doesn't care all that much.
I definitely recommend that anyone who is charmed by the idea of this sort of life read some John Lewis-Stempel, particularly Meadowland: The Private Life of an English Field and The Running Hare: The Secret Life of Farmland for an idea of how important, and how fragile, this sort of existence is. I read Meadowland on my commutes in and out of central London and had to allow myself a little cry over the way he describes something as simple as walking out into a field and looking up at the stars (which I couldn't see when I left the train, because of all of the light pollution).
posted by fight or flight at 8:15 AM on April 17, 2021 [52 favorites]
I've found that both cities and rural areas have their charms. Living in the middle of a forest is nice. So is living on a farm. So is living in the middle of a city. They're just different. You might think there's a lack of stimulus outside the city, but no, just like cities are a constant hive of activity and change, so is nature.
I probably would have had a different view when living on a farm meant no phone and living in a city meant choking on the thick effluent of heavy industry with zero pollution control.
At the moment I prefer the city, but mainly because I don't want to be forced to drive a fucking car.
posted by wierdo at 8:31 AM on April 17, 2021 [18 favorites]
I probably would have had a different view when living on a farm meant no phone and living in a city meant choking on the thick effluent of heavy industry with zero pollution control.
At the moment I prefer the city, but mainly because I don't want to be forced to drive a fucking car.
posted by wierdo at 8:31 AM on April 17, 2021 [18 favorites]
Thanks for this, I saw it in The Guardian a few days ago but it didn't really sound like an interesting read, but all of these comments made me check it out. Bless this man's heart.
My happiest ever vacation was a walking holiday in Wales. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth and the people are lovely. Ironically, I live in a city and I had to go very far to get there. Also, now that I think about it, I had the same dinner every night: baked fish, sautéed new potatoes, fresh peas, and a pint of beer.
Even though I am a lifetime city dweller, I agree with Weirdo that both cities and rural areas have their charms. Yeah I would have some intense FOMO if I couldn't change it up every once in a while.
posted by maggiemaggie at 8:47 AM on April 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
My happiest ever vacation was a walking holiday in Wales. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth and the people are lovely. Ironically, I live in a city and I had to go very far to get there. Also, now that I think about it, I had the same dinner every night: baked fish, sautéed new potatoes, fresh peas, and a pint of beer.
Even though I am a lifetime city dweller, I agree with Weirdo that both cities and rural areas have their charms. Yeah I would have some intense FOMO if I couldn't change it up every once in a while.
posted by maggiemaggie at 8:47 AM on April 17, 2021 [3 favorites]
I like a baked onion. With a knob of butter, or some soft goat's cheese.
My neighbour from when I grew up in Cornwall has been to England (the Tamar, not wholly without justification, being a national boundary in the minds of more than a few Cornish people) twice in her life (at last count anyway, I've not seen her for about 10 years, but she must be around 80 now, so I doubt she's upped the number of visits). She went to the local market town every week or so. Her existence centred around her family, farm, chapel. She was an intelligent, lively, funny person, with as deep and complex a life as anyone else. Perhaps more than many, because she was meaningfully engaged with so much of her world.
She did seem to come from a different generation, however, being a few years older than my parents but significantly less modern in outlook than my grandparents.
Maybe it's easy to forget that, for the vast majority of human history, this was just how most people lived: within a few miles of home and mostly in the company of people one had known one's whole life. It certainly has its downsides (mostly in terms of privacy) but it's certainly not boring.
posted by howfar at 9:42 AM on April 17, 2021 [22 favorites]
My neighbour from when I grew up in Cornwall has been to England (the Tamar, not wholly without justification, being a national boundary in the minds of more than a few Cornish people) twice in her life (at last count anyway, I've not seen her for about 10 years, but she must be around 80 now, so I doubt she's upped the number of visits). She went to the local market town every week or so. Her existence centred around her family, farm, chapel. She was an intelligent, lively, funny person, with as deep and complex a life as anyone else. Perhaps more than many, because she was meaningfully engaged with so much of her world.
She did seem to come from a different generation, however, being a few years older than my parents but significantly less modern in outlook than my grandparents.
Maybe it's easy to forget that, for the vast majority of human history, this was just how most people lived: within a few miles of home and mostly in the company of people one had known one's whole life. It certainly has its downsides (mostly in terms of privacy) but it's certainly not boring.
posted by howfar at 9:42 AM on April 17, 2021 [22 favorites]
I love him. Those jerks should get out of their cars and go listen to the cuckoos. Stop making him cry, jeez.
posted by Don Pepino at 10:10 AM on April 17, 2021 [13 favorites]
posted by Don Pepino at 10:10 AM on April 17, 2021 [13 favorites]
What a wonderful man. I would also so much like to walk his valley with him (and help with the sheep!) I love his infinite universe in the year and the valley and the cuckoo's call, and I'm so happy I could read this. I hope he has many happy years left.
(I didn't much care for forests and wild places until I moved to Wales, and fell in love with the country, and the countryside, and spending time in fields and forests and pastures. 'This valley is cut in the shape of my heart.' indeed.)
posted by kalimac at 10:11 AM on April 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
(I didn't much care for forests and wild places until I moved to Wales, and fell in love with the country, and the countryside, and spending time in fields and forests and pastures. 'This valley is cut in the shape of my heart.' indeed.)
posted by kalimac at 10:11 AM on April 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
If I were him I might be wracked by FOMO
He's 72.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 10:14 AM on April 17, 2021
He's 72.
posted by Cardinal Fang at 10:14 AM on April 17, 2021
Also, yeah he doesn't sound neurotypical.
Coming back to this because it's still bothering me even when I've tabbed away from this thread.
Can we try not to come in to threads and make assumptions about strangers' mental health based on very little information, even if it's with positive intentions as a moment of connection? This man is elderly and has had a number of strokes, there are lots of reasons why he might present one way or another. In any case, sitting down to be an armchair doctor isn't something I thought we did around here.
posted by fight or flight at 10:31 AM on April 17, 2021 [47 favorites]
Coming back to this because it's still bothering me even when I've tabbed away from this thread.
Can we try not to come in to threads and make assumptions about strangers' mental health based on very little information, even if it's with positive intentions as a moment of connection? This man is elderly and has had a number of strokes, there are lots of reasons why he might present one way or another. In any case, sitting down to be an armchair doctor isn't something I thought we did around here.
posted by fight or flight at 10:31 AM on April 17, 2021 [47 favorites]
He believes he is happy, and none of us can be sure he's wrong.
posted by Hogshead at 10:38 AM on April 17, 2021 [14 favorites]
posted by Hogshead at 10:38 AM on April 17, 2021 [14 favorites]
'This valley is cut in the shape of my heart.'
This guy's a poet.
I have lived in a place that is etched on my heart, too, and he's right, you don't find that kind of geographic sympathy everywhere, and if you must leave, you yearn for it ever after.
posted by basalganglia at 10:39 AM on April 17, 2021 [26 favorites]
This guy's a poet.
I have lived in a place that is etched on my heart, too, and he's right, you don't find that kind of geographic sympathy everywhere, and if you must leave, you yearn for it ever after.
posted by basalganglia at 10:39 AM on April 17, 2021 [26 favorites]
Best line: "Feeding the sheep and seeing how happy they are makes me happy, too."
More power to him! He lives his life, doesn't bother others, and is happy. Very cool that he appreciates the Great Wall.
And this bit: "If someone offered me £2m to move, I would tell them to keep it." AMEN, brother. Once I arrived in the location I am now (after numerous big cities, rural town, and more, courtesy of the military, for 35 years), I knew that I had found my true home. No amount of money could get me to leave.
posted by davidmsc at 11:33 AM on April 17, 2021 [6 favorites]
More power to him! He lives his life, doesn't bother others, and is happy. Very cool that he appreciates the Great Wall.
And this bit: "If someone offered me £2m to move, I would tell them to keep it." AMEN, brother. Once I arrived in the location I am now (after numerous big cities, rural town, and more, courtesy of the military, for 35 years), I knew that I had found my true home. No amount of money could get me to leave.
posted by davidmsc at 11:33 AM on April 17, 2021 [6 favorites]
Sounds lovely.
posted by whimsicalnymph at 12:04 PM on April 17, 2021
posted by whimsicalnymph at 12:04 PM on April 17, 2021
I'm most curious about the "big onion".
There's some pretty comprehensive musical documentation of the wonders of big onion.
posted by FatherDagon at 12:58 PM on April 17, 2021
There's some pretty comprehensive musical documentation of the wonders of big onion.
posted by FatherDagon at 12:58 PM on April 17, 2021
If a country is governed wisely,
its inhabitants will be content.
They enjoy the labor of their hands
and don't waste time inventing
labor-saving machines.
Since they dearly love their homes,
they aren't interested in travel.
There may be a few wagons and boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take pleasure in being with their families,
spend weekends working in their gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the next country is so close
that people can hear its roosters crowing and its dogs barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone to see it.
— Laozi
posted by Tom-B at 1:28 PM on April 17, 2021 [21 favorites]
its inhabitants will be content.
They enjoy the labor of their hands
and don't waste time inventing
labor-saving machines.
Since they dearly love their homes,
they aren't interested in travel.
There may be a few wagons and boats,
but these don't go anywhere.
There may be an arsenal of weapons,
but nobody ever uses them.
People enjoy their food,
take pleasure in being with their families,
spend weekends working in their gardens,
delight in the doings of the neighborhood.
And even though the next country is so close
that people can hear its roosters crowing and its dogs barking,
they are content to die of old age
without ever having gone to see it.
— Laozi
posted by Tom-B at 1:28 PM on April 17, 2021 [21 favorites]
I'm most curious about the "big onion".
It would have to be pretty big if he's still eating it after ten years *rimshot*
posted by 3j0hn at 1:29 PM on April 17, 2021 [6 favorites]
It would have to be pretty big if he's still eating it after ten years *rimshot*
posted by 3j0hn at 1:29 PM on April 17, 2021 [6 favorites]
Without going out the door, knowing everything,
Without peeking out the window shades, seeing the Way of Heaven.
The further you go, the less you know.
eh, it kinda looks like this guy is enlightened and the whole of the Dao De Jing is about him
posted by Tom-B at 1:32 PM on April 17, 2021 [6 favorites]
Without peeking out the window shades, seeing the Way of Heaven.
The further you go, the less you know.
eh, it kinda looks like this guy is enlightened and the whole of the Dao De Jing is about him
posted by Tom-B at 1:32 PM on April 17, 2021 [6 favorites]
Had I met this man 30 years ago, I would have thought him quaint and then off I would go and forget him; now that I'm in my 60s, I would revere him as a master -- a life full of purpose and simplicity. I realize now how much of my earlier life was too full of seeking novelty and adventures (complete with all stresses) and too deficient in purpose. Going to bed each night knowing you've done what's important, taken care of those who depend on you, being an integral part of a world you find beautiful with a belly full of food you enjoy -- now that's a good life.
posted by SA456 at 1:53 PM on April 17, 2021 [19 favorites]
posted by SA456 at 1:53 PM on April 17, 2021 [19 favorites]
I live in the same part of Wales, and know plenty of farmers whose lives aren't that dissimilar to Wilf's (although not all of them share his equanimity). It's a good part of the world. I've never regretted moving here from that Cardiff.
posted by ceiriog at 1:58 PM on April 17, 2021 [13 favorites]
posted by ceiriog at 1:58 PM on April 17, 2021 [13 favorites]
This article feels like it was written as a bit of a troll. There’s nothing wrong with his lifestyle, and the back half adds some complications to him, but the front feels like it’s written to be abrasive.
Also, I wish his fixed diet included some vegetables.
posted by Going To Maine at 2:08 PM on April 17, 2021
Also, I wish his fixed diet included some vegetables.
posted by Going To Maine at 2:08 PM on April 17, 2021
I've been reading "The Shepherd's Life" by James Rebanks, and it shows an attitude to life and the land that is in many ways very similar to Wilf's. Definitely worth a read, if this sort of life interests you.
This account resonates with me. My grandmother told me that, growing up in a rural village in North Wales, she knew people who'd never been more than 10 miles from the place they were born. A lot of that was changed forever by the World Wars, but there was still often little curiosity about the world outside the immediate locality. I had a couple of never-married male relatives who ran small hill farms, living in conditions that I now shudder to recall, and I remember grandmother and aunts getting excited about their once-a-year trip to the big city (usually Liverpool, occasionally Manchester).
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 2:15 PM on April 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
This account resonates with me. My grandmother told me that, growing up in a rural village in North Wales, she knew people who'd never been more than 10 miles from the place they were born. A lot of that was changed forever by the World Wars, but there was still often little curiosity about the world outside the immediate locality. I had a couple of never-married male relatives who ran small hill farms, living in conditions that I now shudder to recall, and I remember grandmother and aunts getting excited about their once-a-year trip to the big city (usually Liverpool, occasionally Manchester).
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 2:15 PM on April 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
It is totally wild to come into this thread and read patronising comments basically insinuating this man is a half-wit who would realise he has lived a miserable existence if he was able to open his eyes and see what life could be like elsewhere. "He believes he is happy, and none of us can be sure he's wrong"?? If your idea of happiness doesn't look like a deep and abiding contentment with one's home, family, work, sustenance, and responsibilities, I don't want to know about it.
He's not living in a cave, he knows what's going on in the world, he just has the wisdom to know that he doesn't need to be involved in it. He has his path and his place. I envy him. Perhaps this world wouldn't be in such a pickle if more of us did not pursue novelty and the exotic no matter the costs.
I might have a more clear viewpoint on this as a young-ish person who grew up in London and now lives not a million miles away from this part of Wales. I assure you there are many people around here who would echo his sentiments. Even going to the local market town is seen as a big deal. And when I do go back to London it takes my breath away how cut off from their environment and everybody else the people are. It seems to take so much energy to numb oneself to the noise and crowds, the psychic weight of being crushed in with millions of strangers. If it was a choice between the two I'd take some sheep, the cuckoo, the autumn leaves, my own dear sister and a valley I know by heart a thousand times over.
posted by Balthamos at 2:37 PM on April 17, 2021 [59 favorites]
He's not living in a cave, he knows what's going on in the world, he just has the wisdom to know that he doesn't need to be involved in it. He has his path and his place. I envy him. Perhaps this world wouldn't be in such a pickle if more of us did not pursue novelty and the exotic no matter the costs.
I might have a more clear viewpoint on this as a young-ish person who grew up in London and now lives not a million miles away from this part of Wales. I assure you there are many people around here who would echo his sentiments. Even going to the local market town is seen as a big deal. And when I do go back to London it takes my breath away how cut off from their environment and everybody else the people are. It seems to take so much energy to numb oneself to the noise and crowds, the psychic weight of being crushed in with millions of strangers. If it was a choice between the two I'd take some sheep, the cuckoo, the autumn leaves, my own dear sister and a valley I know by heart a thousand times over.
posted by Balthamos at 2:37 PM on April 17, 2021 [59 favorites]
James Rebanks is brilliant to follow on Twitter -- he's really part of a farming/working the land revolution, in addition to just being a deeply lovely man.
If we're recommending similar reading, then I have to put in a plug for Bruce Chatwin's On The Black Hill. It's set on the opposite end of Wales, in the border countries, but is not too dissimilar from Wilf's life, other than it's a pair of brothers. It's Chatwin, so take everything you read with a rather large grain of salt, but it's a wonderful book.
posted by kalimac at 3:02 PM on April 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
If we're recommending similar reading, then I have to put in a plug for Bruce Chatwin's On The Black Hill. It's set on the opposite end of Wales, in the border countries, but is not too dissimilar from Wilf's life, other than it's a pair of brothers. It's Chatwin, so take everything you read with a rather large grain of salt, but it's a wonderful book.
posted by kalimac at 3:02 PM on April 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
I would give anything to be able to live like this. Man this guy has got it made. I would be so good to those friggin sheep.
As a young man, I was offered a job in Scotland on the oil rigs, but I could never leave. My heart belongs here with the birds and the trees. I knew, if I left, I’d be thinking about my valley the whole time, so what would be the point? All I want is right here.
People forcing themselves into situations they hate can lead to addiction issues so this guy was truly blessed that he was both given the opportunity to choose where he wanted to be & smart enough to realize where that was. Some other people would let other people talk them into something they couldn't tolerate or were just in a situation where this was their only choice to have enough money to live and they break their brains.
Plus he can just get sick, spend some time in the hospital, get better, & come home without needing to turn his life upside down to pay for it!? You mean he doesn't owe society his very life in return for basic care eh? What a world.
posted by bleep at 3:08 PM on April 17, 2021 [12 favorites]
As a young man, I was offered a job in Scotland on the oil rigs, but I could never leave. My heart belongs here with the birds and the trees. I knew, if I left, I’d be thinking about my valley the whole time, so what would be the point? All I want is right here.
People forcing themselves into situations they hate can lead to addiction issues so this guy was truly blessed that he was both given the opportunity to choose where he wanted to be & smart enough to realize where that was. Some other people would let other people talk them into something they couldn't tolerate or were just in a situation where this was their only choice to have enough money to live and they break their brains.
Plus he can just get sick, spend some time in the hospital, get better, & come home without needing to turn his life upside down to pay for it!? You mean he doesn't owe society his very life in return for basic care eh? What a world.
posted by bleep at 3:08 PM on April 17, 2021 [12 favorites]
^ I mean this is what real freedom is which is that at no point did he owe his life or his decisions to anyone. He never had to give them away & who can even say that anymore.
posted by bleep at 3:11 PM on April 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by bleep at 3:11 PM on April 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
I wish his fixed diet included some vegetables
Did you ever think you'd have a wish granted by a big onion?
posted by howfar at 3:21 PM on April 17, 2021 [17 favorites]
Did you ever think you'd have a wish granted by a big onion?
posted by howfar at 3:21 PM on April 17, 2021 [17 favorites]
It is totally wild to come into this thread and read patronising comments basically insinuating this man is a half-wit who would realise he has lived a miserable existence if he was able to open his eyes and see what life could be like elsewhere. "He believes he is happy, and none of us can be sure he's wrong"??
He doesn't want to live in the city?! Obvious propaganda by Big Onion!
posted by ActingTheGoat at 3:54 PM on April 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
He doesn't want to live in the city?! Obvious propaganda by Big Onion!
posted by ActingTheGoat at 3:54 PM on April 17, 2021 [1 favorite]
At the risk of turning this into an ask.mefi; more Rural Idyll with Sheep, like James Rebank,:
Amanda Owen The Yorkshire Shepherdess [twitter too]
Thomas Firbank I Bought a Mountain in N Wales in 1933.
posted by BobTheScientist at 4:18 PM on April 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
Amanda Owen The Yorkshire Shepherdess [twitter too]
Thomas Firbank I Bought a Mountain in N Wales in 1933.
posted by BobTheScientist at 4:18 PM on April 17, 2021 [4 favorites]
I left an urban tech career, after two decades designing software and living around the world in cities, to start a small farm. I enjoyed my former life, and I love the one I am leading now even more. I am also aware of and grateful to have the privilege of switching my life up in middle age. I simply wanted different things at different times. There aren't cuckoos where I live, but I listen to birdsong for hours every day, and it is endlessly enchanting.
posted by birdsongster at 4:25 PM on April 17, 2021 [14 favorites]
posted by birdsongster at 4:25 PM on April 17, 2021 [14 favorites]
When he mentioned having a stroke and being in the hospital for two weeks ("but my sheep helped me"), I imagined his sheep stuffed into his hospital room keeping him company.
posted by perhapses at 7:19 PM on April 17, 2021 [13 favorites]
posted by perhapses at 7:19 PM on April 17, 2021 [13 favorites]
perhapses, that sounds like a great setup for the next Shaun the Sheep short!
posted by basalganglia at 12:50 AM on April 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by basalganglia at 12:50 AM on April 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Reminds me of my parents a bit. My dad is construction worker, now a part-time rancher in his olden age (more cows and chickens than sheep but sheep too). My dad likes to travel, but my mom has never flown in an airplane and has only traveled out of state a few times; my dad has done so infrequently since mom doesn't.
Yeah it's a life for some, but since I was basically trapped in it with them for 15 years until graduation, I can say for certain it wasn't for me. I understand the peace of it, and the wild variance you can see in small changes due to the weather and seasons, and can appreciate that.
If people want that, I say go for it. And if it sounds like a personal hell for others, they are correct too.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:57 AM on April 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
Yeah it's a life for some, but since I was basically trapped in it with them for 15 years until graduation, I can say for certain it wasn't for me. I understand the peace of it, and the wild variance you can see in small changes due to the weather and seasons, and can appreciate that.
If people want that, I say go for it. And if it sounds like a personal hell for others, they are correct too.
posted by The_Vegetables at 12:57 AM on April 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
At the moment I prefer the city, but mainly because I don't want to be forced to drive a fucking car.
This is why I live in a small/medium-sized town (by UK standards). Not only do I not have to drive anywhere, I also don't have to Uber, taxi, train, or bus anywhere. Everywhere I ever need to go in my daily life I can get to in a reasonable timeframe by walking. The whole town is walking distance. My ability to get to where I want/need depends on nobody and nothing outside of myself.
posted by Dysk at 2:37 AM on April 18, 2021 [9 favorites]
This is why I live in a small/medium-sized town (by UK standards). Not only do I not have to drive anywhere, I also don't have to Uber, taxi, train, or bus anywhere. Everywhere I ever need to go in my daily life I can get to in a reasonable timeframe by walking. The whole town is walking distance. My ability to get to where I want/need depends on nobody and nothing outside of myself.
posted by Dysk at 2:37 AM on April 18, 2021 [9 favorites]
He’s 72.
People who are older can have some version of FOMO! Or at least regret at not having tried something they might have enjoyed. I remember my grandmother (in her 80s) commenting that she wished she’d had a chance to try her hand at higher maths like calculus. But this guy seems to be happy and not have any “what if I had” so props to him.
posted by needs more cowbell at 4:25 AM on April 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
People who are older can have some version of FOMO! Or at least regret at not having tried something they might have enjoyed. I remember my grandmother (in her 80s) commenting that she wished she’d had a chance to try her hand at higher maths like calculus. But this guy seems to be happy and not have any “what if I had” so props to him.
posted by needs more cowbell at 4:25 AM on April 18, 2021 [3 favorites]
If he's happy with his life, good for him.
If he's incurious about the world beyond what he gets via broadcast, that's his business and how can I possibly object, except the question I keep coming back to, which is...does he vote? And how does his set of experiences affect that?
posted by pykrete jungle at 7:06 AM on April 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
If he's incurious about the world beyond what he gets via broadcast, that's his business and how can I possibly object, except the question I keep coming back to, which is...does he vote? And how does his set of experiences affect that?
posted by pykrete jungle at 7:06 AM on April 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Man knows what he likes. He reminds me of some old folks from Tennessee and Mississippi I know, who don't strike anyone as fussy but do want things to be just so. Myself, I can eat the same breakfast for months without getting tired of it, and it's only interrupted by circumstance.
Humans had reached their modern anatomical and behavioral state for thousands of years before producing major changes in technology and lifestyle. Scientists wonder why. I think that one reason must have been that they were content. Before agriculture, the land would have a lot to offer for generations at a time, and without major structural inequalities, their lives (while not easy) would have been rewarding and offered the possibility of contentment much like this.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:21 AM on April 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Humans had reached their modern anatomical and behavioral state for thousands of years before producing major changes in technology and lifestyle. Scientists wonder why. I think that one reason must have been that they were content. Before agriculture, the land would have a lot to offer for generations at a time, and without major structural inequalities, their lives (while not easy) would have been rewarding and offered the possibility of contentment much like this.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:21 AM on April 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
He's doing his own thing in his own time; he should be proud. I do hope he gets to take time to see the Great Wall of China.
posted by TedW at 8:01 AM on April 18, 2021
posted by TedW at 8:01 AM on April 18, 2021
His life sounds ideal to me. Life in the city is so loud and fast and full of harsh light. I'm on the autism spectrum, and I find just keeping track of all the bodies moving around me so I don't crash into one is rather exhausting. Having a routine is soothing. Traveling just for travel's sake sounds deeply unpleasant to me, and the few times I have traveled weren't fun. I rarely leave the small town I live in and work in but I still have an idea of what's happening out there and I vote blue. I don't experience FOMO. Why should I when I can walk alone at night, listening to the frogs sing?
posted by LindsayIrene at 8:53 AM on April 18, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by LindsayIrene at 8:53 AM on April 18, 2021 [6 favorites]
that sounds like a great setup for the next Shaun the Sheep short!
I kinda recall it was the set up for the first Shaun the Sheep movie? Lots of lost sheep in a hospital room with an old farmer anyhow.
I also feel he sounds neurodivergent, more because of his taste for the exact same meal 10 years running - that need for routine and shying away from unexpected tastes and textures is something he shares with a kid I know. Balthamos, I know you didn't mean to conflate being neurodivergent and being half-witted at all in your comment mind. I don't think it's patronising to speculate, it might be coming from a place of self-recognition.
He doesn't make anything of it, but his sister is really unwell. Four visits from home help per day means she can't do anything for herself at all. He must be on call all the time when the home help isn't there. So he is a massive stoic and probably doesn't look after himself very well.
If your mind's ear hears his quotes in a Welsh lilt, it's even more poetic and beautiful.
posted by glasseyes at 9:32 AM on April 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
I kinda recall it was the set up for the first Shaun the Sheep movie? Lots of lost sheep in a hospital room with an old farmer anyhow.
I also feel he sounds neurodivergent, more because of his taste for the exact same meal 10 years running - that need for routine and shying away from unexpected tastes and textures is something he shares with a kid I know. Balthamos, I know you didn't mean to conflate being neurodivergent and being half-witted at all in your comment mind. I don't think it's patronising to speculate, it might be coming from a place of self-recognition.
He doesn't make anything of it, but his sister is really unwell. Four visits from home help per day means she can't do anything for herself at all. He must be on call all the time when the home help isn't there. So he is a massive stoic and probably doesn't look after himself very well.
If your mind's ear hears his quotes in a Welsh lilt, it's even more poetic and beautiful.
posted by glasseyes at 9:32 AM on April 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
oh, I see LindsayIrene and Phalene have made that neurodivergent point already
posted by glasseyes at 9:34 AM on April 18, 2021
posted by glasseyes at 9:34 AM on April 18, 2021
I felt like he had the best reason I have heard for wanting to see the Great Wall of China. Also he sounded really interesting, and like someone I would love to hear describe his world more.
Some people just work things out early and are happy with themselves, I figure. I am glad for him that he did and he has had so many years of quiet joy in his world.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 12:29 PM on April 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Some people just work things out early and are happy with themselves, I figure. I am glad for him that he did and he has had so many years of quiet joy in his world.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 12:29 PM on April 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
It takes all kinds to make a world.
Sounds to me like this man found contentment very early in life and stuck with it. More power to him.
posted by rpfields at 3:18 PM on April 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Sounds to me like this man found contentment very early in life and stuck with it. More power to him.
posted by rpfields at 3:18 PM on April 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Balthamos I certainly am not saying he's a halfwit or wrong.
I'm saying it's absolutely not the life for me and noting that even for someone living in a small village in Wales he's isolated. If that makes him happy then good! It also seems like a degree of isolation that the majority of humanity probably couldn't deal with very well. I'm glad he found a place he could be happy and content.
posted by sotonohito at 4:10 PM on April 18, 2021
I'm saying it's absolutely not the life for me and noting that even for someone living in a small village in Wales he's isolated. If that makes him happy then good! It also seems like a degree of isolation that the majority of humanity probably couldn't deal with very well. I'm glad he found a place he could be happy and content.
posted by sotonohito at 4:10 PM on April 18, 2021
I thought he seemed far from isolated in some ways - he clearly interacts with people all the time, but doesn't seek them out. He may have no Tv but that doesn't mean he doesn't listen to the radio or otherwise have an avenue to explore things. He clearly gets immense joy from his sheep and his environment in a way that is deeply meaningful for him. He cares deeply about people and the world in his own way, and seems to take time to talk with strangers he encounters.
He just seems to really like his life. And if you like your life why chase after something else?
posted by lesbiassparrow at 7:17 PM on April 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
He just seems to really like his life. And if you like your life why chase after something else?
posted by lesbiassparrow at 7:17 PM on April 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
I believe this man has achieved enlightenment. In a different world, he would have a small stream of acolytes wanting to chop wood and carry water. I doubt he would want them though.
posted by Missense Mutation at 7:41 AM on April 20, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by Missense Mutation at 7:41 AM on April 20, 2021 [4 favorites]
« Older Amazon's 'The Lord of the Rings' to Cost $465M for... | Democracy’s indigenous origins in the Americas Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by fFish at 5:27 AM on April 17, 2021 [18 favorites]