The weekend is here and that signals the start of a somewhat more relaxed approach to events on the farm. During the week we are pretty much flat out working on something everyday. So when Friday night hits we slow the pace down somewhat and make the time to enjoy exactly what it is we are doing.

Which reminds me of a piece of writing I saw some years ago...... here it is.

THE STATION

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision
We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent
We are travelling by train

Out of the window we drink in the passing scene
Of cars on nearby highways
Of children waving at a crossing
Of alpacas grazing on a distant hillside
Of row upon row of corn and wheat
Of flat lands and valleys
Of mountains and rolling hillsides
Of city skylines and village halls

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination
On a certain day at a certain hour, we will pull into the station
Bands will be playing and flags waving
Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true
And the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle
How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering
And waiting, waiting, waiting for the station

“When we reach the station, that will be it”, we cry!
“When I win a blue ribbon at the nationals”
“When I buy a new stud !”
“When my alpaca herd is 100 strong”
“When I have paid off the mortgage”
“When I reach the age of retirement”
“Then I shall live happily ever after!”

Sooner or later we must realise that there is no station
No single place to arrive at once and for all
The true joy of life is in the journey
The station is only a dream
It constantly outdistances us

“Relish the moment” is a good motto
It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad
It is the regrets over yesterdays and the fear of tomorrow
Regret and fear are the twin thieves that rob us of today

So, stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles
Climb the mountains
Eat more ice cream
Go barefoot more often
Forge more rivers
Watch more sunsets
Laugh more
Cry less
Life must be lived as we go along

The station will come soon enough.....





Adrian Stewart - click here to go to Mulberry Alpacas.
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