Are you a worrier or an optimist?
I'm both. I worry about things yet to happen and solve problems I don’t have constantly. Yet, I’m always trying to find the good in people and situations. It’s what keeps me going in life—the conversations in my head about the small joys or the thoughts about the big possibilities to come.
This week has been hot, as you know, and life on the farm does not come with AC. Needless to say, the sheep and I have not been enjoying the weather. But something did occur to me today—the hay bugs have been much less bothersome this week.
Usually, during chores, I find myself swatting at them regularly, only to realize they are truly harmless and really don’t deserve my attention. So much so, I've humorously had conversations with myself and named the little critters Hay Bugs.
So what’s a Hay Bug? Well, I hand-carry several trips to the hay feeders every day, lugging large, loose armfuls of hay, hugged to my body from my hip to my head. Very often, a rogue singular stem brushes my neck in just such a way that I stop to shoo away what I assume to be a bug, only to realize it’s just a piece of hay. Now, you might think, why would I even reflect on such a thing? Do other people have these conversations in their head and name imaginary nuisances? Maybe not, but I sure do. Almost daily now, I feel the little bug and say to myself, "Now, Rod, that’s just a Hay Bug, carry on."
But here’s where it gets even weirder. This week, it’s been hot! And I just couldn’t bear to bear hug any hay, so I’ve been less efficiently taking my time carrying smaller piles with the pitchfork. Bearing the intense windless heat of the morning yesterday, I thought, now where’s a positive in the situation? Oh, I know—the Hay Bugs are completely gone this week!
Yes, I am losing it a bit, I know. I think it’s the heat. But even in the sweltering sun, there’s always a silver lining—or in this case, a hay-free neck.
Stay cool and embrace your inner optimist, even if it means naming your imaginary bugs.
Warm wishes (but not too warm!),
Farmer Rod