Today I read and discussed the same excerpt from Willa Cather's O Pioneers! about five times (the short explanation is that I'm a teacher), in which a brother who has gone off to the city to work as an engraver has returned home and is reflecting with his sister, who remained in Nebraska, working the family farm. This gave me plenty of time to let the message sink in.
The city dweller describes life as "paying exorbitant rent for a few square feet of space near the heart of things; we have no ties, we know nobody, we own nothing." The farmer replies, "We pay a high rent, too, though we pay differently. We grow hard and heavy. We don't move lightly and easily as you do, and out minds get stiff."
Both seem to envy the other's life, leading one to wonder if there's any place to live that lacks troubles. Detroit Goat Farm looks to combine the positives of community ties and owning a place of one's own to the joy of living close to the heart of a city. We hope to give people a sense of belonging while keeping their minds active, to keep their bodies strong while allowing them the opportunity to develop as a person.
Maybe there's nowhere trouble-free, but it's my hope that Detroit Goat Farm is a place where the troubles are worth having and worth learning from.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is awesome. Though I have had limited connection with this project so far, I am amazed and at the progress and thoughtfulness of the venture. Keep working toward the goal, friends.
ReplyDelete