I May Not Be a Farmer, BUT....
A look behind the scenes of a blind man walking with seeds in his hands.
Welcome to the 4th installment in my letters called “The Zag” 🤫 (which is maybe one of the best ways to describe my crazy story). It’s been almost a full year since I contributed to this newsletter track. For good reason because life has been busyyy.
What you can expect from The Zag:
Open dialogue with an open mind.
I have a wild story to tell you if you're ready to hear it. My life.
Reluctantly relentlessly authentic.
Life | Opinion, Adventure, Culture, Ethics, Empathy | Transparent.
100%.
Reading is optional. Growth is voluntary. sacred Empathy is our opportunity.
Full stories will often be shared behind secure paywalls for those I know I can trust.
Stay beautiful.
“I may not be a farmer but I’m still striving to plant seeds that grow.”
I’m always looking for cool and experience-based activities to share with these 3 kids in my life. I may not be the best farmer in town, but I’m still trying to give them touch points with diverse experiences to diversify their lens and give them a chance to learn through immersive learning (much like I found when I went to college).
Over the last 12 months I have enrolled them in multiple activities, including gymnastics, soccer, camps and outdoor activities and more. I’ve had them tag along with me to art museums and artist talks. “Why are we here? Uncle Jon, what are we supposed to do?“
Just be and absorb. Learning by osmosis is one of my favorite ways to talk about education and personal growth. We don’t expand our horizons by staying in a little box. No, we expand our framework for living by going out of our comfort zone.
Despite the fact I have little to no experience living or working on a farm, I was really excited to take the kids to a historical farm tour hosted by our local historical society. The kids were able to ride a pull wagon, learn about cast iron cooking, churn butter, play with old homemade wooden string toys and dolls, learn about the mundane methods of candle making with beef tallow, and more.
The photo above on the tractor was a rare moment where everyone stood still long enough to smile together - and at least look like they like each other. Parents, you know what I’m talking about.
Last winter after basketball sign ups, I unintentionally became a team’s head coach. Another role and responsibility outside my comfort zone, but one that came with its fair share of challenges and awesome memories with the young players.
This spring, my eldest niece (pictured right) has been taking piano lessons. She has her first recital this June. After getting a new piano in our home, it’s been amazing to see the natural talent that each of the kids have that go beyond anything I could ever achieve at my age today, let alone their young years. I’m really trying to be mindful to help feed those natural knacks they seem to have, whether it is with music, art, or otherwise.
Of course, caretaking comes with many MANY layers of challenges. “Life is not all rainbows and unicorns,” as one of my coworkers says.
Behind the Scenes
If you know me, then you know how I am endlessly curious.
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