Farmer Bro
When I arrive at my parents property in North Georgia it is sometime after 4 p.m. and the asphalt beneath my feet is hot . My brother and I lean against his beaten up Toyota while he rolls us a cigarette each. I don't normally smoke but it seems to be a ritual he and I have established when relaxing together.
I watch his lanky fingers pull shreds of tobacco from the pouch and stick it between the thin white rolling paper. I love watching this man. The recorder comes out and I begin to ask my brother about the garden he started some months back. He tells the story with a tinge of bitterness as he describes the work he did and what is now left behind.
This is nearly eight minutes of unedited conversation between two brothers, neither of which come from a farming background nor a family that has spent time getting to know the earth. He is the first in our family to take an interest in farming and I take great pride in his love for the land.
You may not find this recording worth your time, and I am more than o.k. with that. I think the conversation to be a great one, and I am glad I recorded it.
The most telling question and answer comes right at the beginning of the interview. I ask my brother how he came about the decision that the garden needed to be created.
He replies, "Pretty much since you and I went to Ireland it [the garden] just felt essential there and I didn't see why it shouldn't be essential here."
And that is the interesting thing about this interview. Here are two suburban raised boys trying to make sense of why they were raised in such a way that disconnected them from their food, how it was made and the earth on which it was grown. Listen in as Matt tells his story.
I watch his lanky fingers pull shreds of tobacco from the pouch and stick it between the thin white rolling paper. I love watching this man. The recorder comes out and I begin to ask my brother about the garden he started some months back. He tells the story with a tinge of bitterness as he describes the work he did and what is now left behind.
This is nearly eight minutes of unedited conversation between two brothers, neither of which come from a farming background nor a family that has spent time getting to know the earth. He is the first in our family to take an interest in farming and I take great pride in his love for the land.
You may not find this recording worth your time, and I am more than o.k. with that. I think the conversation to be a great one, and I am glad I recorded it.
The most telling question and answer comes right at the beginning of the interview. I ask my brother how he came about the decision that the garden needed to be created.
He replies, "Pretty much since you and I went to Ireland it [the garden] just felt essential there and I didn't see why it shouldn't be essential here."
And that is the interesting thing about this interview. Here are two suburban raised boys trying to make sense of why they were raised in such a way that disconnected them from their food, how it was made and the earth on which it was grown. Listen in as Matt tells his story.
posted by Corey at 10:49 PM
4 Comments:
It is very cool that you are letting people in on your and others' stories. Thanks.
Stories...
It so strange to think about how lives intersect and then branch out over the course of a lifetime.
I smiled to myself while I listened to this interview as I thought about this. Your brother was my first crush. For five years I thought that he was the greatest thing. One time he killed a spider that I had accidentally grabbed. It was a hideous spider...a bright yellow, green and orange spider...yuck! And, in my enraptured, 8-year-old-eyes, he had killed it for me. He was my hero that day. That's just something that has stuck in my brain...
Life is amazing.
I still think my brother is the greatest thing. That's funny that he was your first crush. I think i had my first while living in that same neighborhood as well.
Remember the Wilborns who lived up the street? yeah, i had a huge crush on Sandy.
I remember she had the most electric green eyes that shown brightly in mid summer after her face had been tanned by long days spent in the sun.
I'm glad you found my blog, it's cool to hear your thoughts. Perhaps sometime in the future I'll be in your neck of the woods and i can meet your husband and the life y'all are creating together.
I do remember them. One of them used to babysit my brother and me. Kelly, maybe? Was there a Kelly? She'd always make us lemonade and we would try to get her to put a little extra sugar into our cups.
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