My husband and I both work off the farm full-time. We were just saying that we noticed that when we were home for weekends or time off and worked all day at home, be it throwing bales, sorting cattle or digging in the garden we never seem as completely exhausted as when we come home from a work day away from the farm. On the weekdays we come home bone tired without any energy left at all, but on weekends we can spend hours working on projects and still feel energized and refreshed. I suppose it is as simple as doing things we love (even cleaning the chicken coop) versus doing things that other people tell you to do all day. Gotta work to support our farming habbit! I would love to hear other people's comments or thoughts on this.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@Linkup.net), January 24, 2001

Answers

I think you hit the nail right on the head - doing something you love. I was recently laid off my regular job (television producer/director) and now I work at a storage facility part time. When I did TV I was in for long hard days but I loved it and I'd get home ready to go, now I drag in from the drudgery of doing something I detest. Same goes for working on the place, love that and can't get enough, but just try to get me off my butt in the city to do anything, even on the city place. Can't wait till we get out there full time!

-- Willy Allen (willyallen2@yahoo.com), January 25, 2001.

I agree that loving what we do makes all the difference, but i will take this thought a little further with a couple of comments.

When you work out around the homestead sweating and breathing in that fresh air, it is very energizing. It's the feeling of acomplishment and self reliance that we all strive for. When you are away at work you are doing things to benifit your company. While it indirectly comes back to you in check form, it is a different feeling.

Self employment is more free! You can eat, chat, work, play, take bathroom breaks on your sechedule. Your the boss! You work until the work is done, but you do it your way. From all this hard work you and your family recieve the reward of your labor. Togetherness, freedom, peace, pride, a pantry full of food, a freezer full of meat, feed for your animals and maybe, just maybe a little change in your pockets.

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 25, 2001.

Don't you think it's stress. When you work away from home somebody is always wanting something from you, there is noise and confusion and city fumes and pressure to hurry. I found this to be true when I worked full time too and now all I have to do is go the the big city and I come home exhausted. Boy are we country folks pampered!!

-- Betsy K (betsyk@pathwaynet.com), January 25, 2001.

Yup! It's stress Betsy...

I can toss 50 bales and be just fine. But if I'm hammered after a day of stress at work in the city, I'll fall fast asleep, face down in the mashed potatoes at dinner. :)

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), January 25, 2001.

My son was sick with a cough and I insisted he go outside and stack wood, that he would feel better if he did. Afterward, he didn't admit he felt better but he wasn't coughing as much.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), January 25, 2001.

Hmmm ok lets see doing things we love...fishing, hunting, loafing, taking apart most anything. Versus "WORK" putting the taken apart thing back together, cleaning the fish, cutting grass..any thing in the city. YEP countryside wins less stress. I have yet wanted to strangle my dog for cutting in front of me....wait..wait..well yes i did saturday. Ok at least the cat doesn't curse me for only going 65 in a 35 zone. unless that meowing at 2:a.m. is her stress release.

OK i completely lost train of thought ....Next......

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), January 25, 2001.

Gee Ken - that sounds just like me! Yup - I agree - it's stress. Deadlines and such. Much more fun mowing, painting, doing hay, shoveling you know what, and all that stuff!

-- Dianne (willow@config.com), January 25, 2001.

I think it's because you are doing things on the farm for yourself! You can see the results of hard labor and be proud of them every time you walk outside to the chicken coop instead of just sending it on down the line never to set eyes on it again. It's yours and no one can take it from you. Also, the "I did it myself just like I wanted to with no one hanging over my head telling me how" feelings are a BIG factor in it ~ gives you a deep feeling of pride and self-satisfaction. Or atleast it does me! I don't care if the new chicken coop leans a bit to the right and isn't quite square. My hens are safely inside sleeping where no coons, opossums or any other varmint can get them. AND I did it!!!!!

-- Wingnut (wingnut@moment.net), January 26, 2001.

I have to agree with everyone. I am a 5'6", 105 pound scrawny little thing. When I was working ranches 2 years ago, I would come home after 6 hours of HARD PHYSICAL labor and be ready to put in another 6 hours on my stuff. Now, I have an office job and I come home so exhausted that I can't hardly find the energy to feed myself and my critters ! Maybe we should get a Government Grant and do a study !!! It sure would buy a lot of hay and grain !!! :o) M.

-- Monica (zpepenovia@excite.com), January 26, 2001.

Thanks everyone for your input. Sometimes it seems like things like this are only in our heads. Especially when we explain to our citified friends what we've done over the weekend! There is definitely a certain satisfaction in doing things for yourself, not to mention you feel a lot better too.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@Linkup.net), January 27, 2001.

Thats why I opted out of promotion type assignments at work, instead accepting the low visibility, low advancement positions. Just enough for paying bills, but not critical enough to be a gotta be there employee. True there is the drawback of topping the layoff list, but the plus side far outweighs the minus.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 31, 2001.