I had always been an only child. My parents were both born and raised in rural areas. They met at a party during college and married soon after graduation. My mother had grown up on a farm and my father grew up in a small town with no electricity. Their backgrounds gave them a different perspective than most people I knew growing up. For example, they didn't really understand why I wanted to go to a school with so many other kids when we lived in such a nice area where there wasn't much traffic. But they did support me, even though it was hard for them to see me leave home.
My mother was very organized and disciplined. She taught me how to cook and clean as soon as I could stand on a stool. When I was old enough to be trusted with knives she would let me cut things for her while she cooked dinner. I learned early that if I left something out it wouldn't be there when I needed it again. If I put things away properly then they would still be there when I came back later. That's one reason I'm so good at keeping track of things now.
My father was more laid-back. He'd take care of whatever he felt like doing whenever he felt like it. I don't know what made him decide to buy the farm, but I think it was because he liked the idea of living in a place where nobody else lived nearby. It was far enough from civilization that it didn't matter if his neighbors saw him naked or not. The nearest neighbor was about two miles away and they never talked to each other. I remember once when I was little I asked my father why he bought the farm and he said, "Because it was cheap."
When I was six years old my father started showing me how to do all sorts of chores around the house. I helped him plant seeds in the garden and harvest the crops. I learned how to make compost by turning over the soil every spring. I learned how to use a hoe to weed the vegetable garden. And I learned how to prune the apple trees and berry bushes. In exchange for helping my father I got to pick apples and berries off the tree and eat them right off the branch. I also got to eat fresh eggs straight from the chicken coop. My mother would bake pies using those free-range eggs. I thought I was rich!
At first I hated working. I just wanted to play with my friends. So I decided that if I worked hard enough then I wouldn't have to work anymore. That's why I kept working even after I stopped being a kid. As an adult I can honestly say that I've never done anything for money that I didn't enjoy. Except maybe shoveling snow.
My parents never paid me for any of this. I think they figured I was getting plenty of exercise and that I would learn some useful skills. And they were right. My mother used to joke that she had trained me better than most servants. I don't think she was serious, but I guess she was happy with the results.
I'm glad I grew up on a farm. It gave me a sense of responsibility and independence that I haven't seen anywhere else. When I moved to the city I found it strange that people would pay me to do things that I enjoyed doing for free. But then I realized that I had already gotten used to earning my own money and having control over how I spent it. That's probably why I ended up with a career in advertising instead of becoming a doctor. I was used to making decisions based on what I thought was best for me.
My parents are still alive. I visit them as often as I can, which isn't very often these days. My mother is suffering from diabetic and my father is in poor health. I live too far away to take care of them myself. But I still feel responsible for them. I know that someday I'll have to find a way to move back to the country and take care of them myself. Until then I hope they will be okay.
I invite @mari3 to the community. Thanks for reading!
