I met an interesting man named Bob yesterday. He was 70 years old vibrant and passionate about his love for organic farming. Our encounter was short but life changing, as Bob shared his life story with me, I felt a part of my soul that has been dormant for some time awaken and I know Bob now as an angle who was sent here as an answer to my prayers.
Bob's father, as he put it was "an intuitive farmer" he told a story of how his Dad turned clay into fertile soil by composting and listing to the needs of the earth and using his intuition to supply in balance what the earth needed to change from clay into fertile growing soil. After his father passed Bob's older brother took over the family farm and Bob went out into the world "to see what I could make of myself" It was around the time of WWII and chemical fertilizers and farming methods were becoming the forefront of the agriculture world. Bob moved to Alaska and for the next 30 years was the lead farm hand for several different operations using chemical fertilizers and growing methods.
Being fed all the same stories from the industry that chemicals produced better quality crops and betters yields. He watched as the soil began to die and new viruses and diseases began affecting the crops. He watch the people he worked with die sporadically from random illnesses of unknown causes. He told me about one man who would never wear a mask or gloves when they sprayed the crops and how his hands and beard would be bright yellow for weeks afterword. This man too died an early death.
One day Bob could no longer silence the voice of his intuition about what these chemicals were doing to the earth and the people whom consumed the crops raised in this manner.
He walked away, cut and dry, and went back to his original roots of intuitive organic farming.
He told me he was choosing to promote and produce life with his farming methods not death in the way the chemical industry was. I could tell as he talked that he was holding a lot of regret and guilt for having been involved with that industry for so long. But even at 70 he was on the path of healing as his life decision to commit to organic farming fulfilled his soul on such a level, you could see the life in his eyes and feel his passion as he spoke about what he was doing today.
Today, Bob owns a very successful organic fertilizer company made from recycled fish bones that would otherwise be thrown away. He also grows all his own food and high quality organic seed potato's to sell to other farmers. He spreads the message of organics versus chemicals and is inspired everyday by life. He talked about how he learns something new everyday and is simply a student of life.
Bob left me with one message that struck me to the core.
He told me since going back to organic farming every day in a new experiment. Some things work and some things don't but if you live your life by "what ifs" you'll never try anything.
I am so thrilled I had the privilege of meeting Bob. He has inspired and re-awakened a sense of courage in me, as something is rumbling beneath the surface that I am not yet at the liberty to share because I do not have all the information but I know the timing of my encounter with Bob was no coincidence.
Last night I dreamt of my old dog Maddie. I haven't seen her in years and she came to me so happy, enthralled and excited. when I woke I had the sense that this dream represented a part of myself that I had been ignoring and refusing to give voice to and the image of my dog so happy and excited was my confirmation on how happy this part of myself was that I was finally listening and paying attention again.
In the essence of the east and of Bob, of new beginnings and sunrises, I am choosing life.
