The Rural Voice, 1980-01, Page 16The Voice of a Farmer
by Adrian Vos
Meeting challenges
with a smile
A new year and a new decade is upon us and I look forward to
what the new period will bring us.
Forces beyond our control mean there are many things we
can do little about. But there are more things we can influence
ourselves.
Neither Joe Clark, nor Bill Davis or Peter Lougheed has any
influence on how we relate to our friends and family. And let us
clearly recognize that the source of our happiness or contentment
lies in ourselves. Also any possible source of unhappiness. We
have just come through a season of "peace and goodwill to
men," and if we expand the good feelings of this season into the
new year, as we are intended to do, our whole circle of friends
will be the beneficiaries of this feeline of goodwill to men.
Let us make some New Year's resolutions that we really
intend to keep. Write them down and post them in a place where
we will see them every day for the next year.
Every farmer is a member of at least two farm organizations, a
general farm organization and a commodity organization.
Promise yourself that you will attend at least one of them each
month. That is not too much, is it? One evening in four weeks?
Promise yourself that you will let bygones be bygones and
forget the difference of opinion you had with someone last year
or ten years ago. The Donnelly time is a century ago.
Promise yourself that instead of complaining and criticizing
you will seek a solution to something that has been bothering
you, and accept it if someone else has a different solution, even if
yours is better.
Let your family know that you love them. They know it alread,
of course, but they would still like you to tell them.
Promise yourself to have a friendly word with someone you
don't really like and a smile for a stranger in town.
Promise yourself...oh, you know what I mean, why go on. I
promise you that if you follow the general directions of my recipe
it will be like the workings of a mirror, it will reflect back to you.
The real beneficiary of your smile will undoubtedly be yourself.
We must expect many changes in the year ahead of us, as
energy becomes more expensive; as pollution problems become
more menacing; as pressure from urban part of our society
increases: as our expenses increase faster than our returns.
All these problems must be dealt with in the next few years,
but let us meet these challenges with a smile and recognize that
they must be met.
Let us not forget that we never had it as good as we have it
today. Yes, us too. We often point the finger at the unions or the
CAC or Professor Forbes and the like, but it is not only they who
have a better standard of living. We too can be grateful for the
shorter hours and the less strenuous work, for better health and
good food.
I wish all of you a really Happy and Prosperous 1980. (even if
you have to work on it.)
PG. 14 THE RURAL VOICE/JANUARY 1980
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