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| "Changing Farm Patterns," Courtesy of Photoartdb Consulting All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2020. No reproduction without artist's permission. |
For several years now, my urban-based and other friends have encouraged me to leave my little farmhouse. "Too isolated," they've said. "Too out of touch and remote," they've said. "Unhealthy, toxic environment surrounded by industrialized farming practices," others who are environmentally oriented have said. The sights, smells and water quality confirm that it's not the best place to live anymore for me.
These well-meaning friends have not totally understood just how much I've savored the quiet, the peaceful existence and the creative concentration of living in the country in the county of my childhood on the family farm that was my home for the first 18 years of my life after years of living in cities like St. Louis, Manhattan and other more hectic and insane places. If you are one of my pals in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Kansas, Texas or Illinois who've often said, "I really would love to visit you because it looks so peaceful and fresh air clean," I will remind you that looks can be deceiving. A picture can be worth a thousand words at times. Your opportunity to visit has passed as my little home is filling up with moving boxes as my dog and I get ready for the next phase of life. If you want to help pack up, please get in touch. I need help on this end of the move.
"Yes, I was in New York on 9/11," I say to some who remember that day well and "This place provides some peace of mind after all the traffic and hectic manic pace of city life." These are often my responses to people who ask why I'm back here after many years of living out of state. Plus, when I'm trying to keep it to a brief answer: "I'm back here to be closer to my family." Well, its now time to make another change and move to a smaller city where I went to college, learned about photography/art and can attend adult classes "for free" at that same university - still have some learning to do. My new residence has close friends in the arts community, close family members near there in the Branson area as well, easy access to art, theatre, music and folks that I've shared some big history with in life. My out-of-state friends will enjoy that there's an airport that is not 45 minutes away from my home. Long-time friends will be able to drive to my new place so much easier without much GPS intervention or backwoods directions like "Make a right turn when you pass the big radio tower and where you see the big cattle ranch sign then stop at the first Casey's station when you hit the first small town. Call me and I'll come pick you up there." That effort always took at least 30-45 minutes each way off of our time together. A road detour once sent one of my friends WAY off track - took an hour to find her in a Walmart parking lot. It was a source of much amusement during the entire weekend.
Friends who suffer from asthma or other lung-related or heart related difficulties won't have to worry about which way the wind is coming from at my new home. My dog will possibly stop his coughing fits and reverse sneezes whenever we go out to do yard word. Strange, but I'm moving to a city to escape the air quality and lack of water purity living with a factory farm as my neighbor. And recent signed resolutions by our President will make that water quality even worse.
President Trump signs resolution to permit dumping mining waste into waterways.
Washington Post article posted 2/17/2020
Washington Post article posted 2/17/2020
This administration has already undone most of the positive governmental protections for the environment the National Parks Services, the Environmental Protection Agency and other positive moves made by both Republican and Democrat administrations before him. Yes, a few tears have been shed over what is happening to the beautiful, lush green Missouri that my brother and I grew up in -- being able to swim or fish in local ponds or rivers, not worrying about e-coli if we fell in one of those ponds or rivers. It's been a sad thing to watch this lovely landscape deteriorate.
My entire career has often been based on traveling to different places, moving every so often for job-related reasons. Coming back to the farm six years ago to be with my family and elderly father was my transition into retirement. A downsized job in Arizona in my late 50's meant freelance and other regular income sources were difficult and inconsistent. Spending more time back in Missouri showed me that it was time to make a change and get closer to home because both Thanksgiving and Christmas spent here saw my Dad going into the hospital both holidays. Not great signs. My father who farmed all of his life died of colon cancer in May 2019. Hence, the growing cancer trends that I've seen happening in this small southwest corner of an agri-based business model for industrialized farming practices continued to decline on a personal level for me. Had my own little "cancer scare" recently after a routine mammogram but it all turned out to be a "false alarm," thank goodness. I'm no fool. My poor mother died of ovarian cancer over eight years ago. Cancer sucks. It's time to leave.
Life is fleeting. Change is constant and a way of life for many. And because of that fact in life, it has been a difficult decision to begin a move elsewhere after my father's passing last May. My family understands and that is all that really counts in my book. My really close friends get it as well, so as my extended family their opinions count, too. I don't feel like the smelly neighbor has won, but my health does not make it conducive to not remaining near it any more. It has not won, because even if I'll stop writing this blog, I will continue to resist CAFO legislation, CAFO operations and do my part in trying to make as much of a difference as "one woman's opinion" can accomplish. Can't do it alone. It's up to the future generations to step in and take over. It's up to those of us who went through the 1960's and 1970's to keep speaking out. It's sad a little girl from Norway is the only person with courage enough to speak out on behalf of environmental issues - the children need to take up the charge and make things happen. And I still have a nasty cough hanging on after my bout with the flu last month despite getting the pneumonia and flu shots this year.
We don't know where it really comes from yet, but the coronavirus has been a very frightening news story these days. Another article from The Washington Post business section demonstrates that one:
It has been scientifically proven that CAFOs cause some horrible health consequences in those living near them in various states. That is why - if it comes near your town - you should go see the "Right To Harm" documentary film about the health consequences of living near one. This well-made award winning film finally opened my eyes that my health consequences were not just my "advancing age" or my "imagination." They were consistent with others who lived in close proximity to these things. Other people were experiencing the same thing across the United States. Please check it out if it comes near your home. It's touring the entire country right now because this is a bigger problem than just in Missouri. Here's a link to their website so you can learn more:
Tickets are being handled through Eventbrite. Most of these screenings are free and sponsored by local groups interested in the environment. One was just recently held in St. Louis. Looks like the next showing is coming up in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In my new home, I will remain a member of certain environmental and local control farm-friendly organizations that are resisting the spread of CAFOs in my home state, fighting for water/air quality and environmental protections. You'll find me volunteering to work the phones and try to help make things happen in my own little way even if it is just stuffing envelopes or calling my legislators about an upcoming piece of legislation. There will be more like-minded folks in my new home. And won't have to worry about who I'm saying the wrong thing to at the wrong time. It will be easier to be outspoken.
Spoke and protested at the March Against Monsanto rally some years back in Greene County and it was a satisfying experience connecting with others who also dislike this chemical killing company that is now Bayer-Monsanto, so no longer an American corporation really. Here was my poster design because I think children should be taught in school as part of the curriculum how to grow their own food, keep control of the seeds used to make that garden grow and work toward a more sustainable agricultural environment.
You might see me at different meetings for causes that are important to me in Greene County in the future like women's issues, arts causes, environmental nonprofits or animals, poverty, homelessness or drug addiction. Currently, I am a rural citizen member of Missouri Rural Crisis Center and will probably remain one for years to come. If you want to get involved, please check out their website about volunteering, getting info or being a member. You can volunteer, join or just sign up to get information. Good folks working for local control, rural communities and sustainable agriculture:
Missouri Rural Crisis Center
Another organization that I am a member of and will remain so for the coming years is The Sierra Club. They work to make things better in the environment for those of us who wish continue to live in a beautiful planet for the remainder of our lives and those who follow us as future generations. Used to love going river canoeing. Hope I feel comfortable doing so sometime in the future. See if there's something that interests you then be a joiner, not a follower:
There will be more joining as I get more involved in different museums, art organizations and other things. As the old saying goes by a spiritual writer whose sense of humor and life view that I've enjoyed over the years (Ram Dass), Be Here Now. Live in the present and look forward to the future. You cannot change the past, but we can learn from it. It's my plan to continue to learn, do art and work for causes that I believe in supporting until the day that I move into the clouds, greet people I love at the Pearly Gates and maintain my relationship with God. Teach less and do more. Stay strong as I can with the sadness that surrounds so much of life on this planet.
Here are two lovely visuals that say something similar to Ram Dass' teachings as well as other spiritual leaders in different ways:
So the journey continues. This blog will not. I'm going to go out and do things rather than writing about them. Go out and do more art and photography. Pack boxes for the move to music I love with my dog at my side. Have lots of friends on the other side of this move who have already said they'll come help me unpack. Spend more time with those I love. Listen to more music and dance. Go see good theatre, concerts, art exhibitions. Play games that are fun and educational, not violent or mean spirited. This last post is not a real "farewell," just a "see ya later down the road of life." Keep up the good fight - it's well worth it. Do it for the children.
And here's a little music to accompany my Exit Stage Right as they say in the theatre. Call these my farewell songs for now. Four songs that mean a lot to me and count as my favorites as travel or any time music. PLEASE ... Get up and dance a little with someone you love, your pet, a significant other or alone --- it's all fun:
Thank you for the time you've spent over the years reading this "one woman's opinion." Just to be clear, there is no compensation for my words--just my expression of what has been going on in life. There are no salaries paid or gratuities given. And I own no copyrights to any of the above images except the Photoartdb photographs that begin and end this blog. That's my "art." Take care. Enjoy and see you on the other side. Have a great life!
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| "Swirled Skies," Courtesy of Photoartdb Consulting All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2020. No reproduction without artist's permission. |
Comments are by this individual writing the blog and no other company, nonprofit or other organization has approved or endorsed them. Am not a scientist, so can't claim my own scientific research but just comment on what is happening. These words are my sole opinion and no one else is responsible for these remarks. Anonymous comments not accepted. Stand up for your opinion. Thanks for your thoughtful and kind responses. Please keep language clean and our farmlands green. :)
