Alternative Gardening and the path to Happiness.

Tonight I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about
alternative gardening.  The more we talked about options for growing
food in the winter months the more memories from my childhood kept
flooding back.

I have loved to garden since I was a kid.  I used to plant flowers and
vegetables outside in the spring, and in the winters I would grow cold
weather vegetables indoors in our abandoned fish tanks.  There was
nothing better than eating a radish or some leafy spinach that was
growing in my own bedroom, I thought it was cool at 10 and I still
think its cool now.

No matter where I lived, or whom I lived with I loved to be outside
helping something grow.  This is something that I still enjoy, but
don't take seriously enough.  I grow some vegetables and do some
canning but nothing on a grand scale.  


I was startled at just how happy I was thinking back on my garden 
this year, watching the plants grow in my mind.  Even with all of the
weeding and watering I always feel better when working in my garden.

You see, I believe that we as humans are not meant to work
in offices for hours a day, constantly being attacked with
information, requests, demands, menial tasks and the such just to
start it all over again the next day.  Where is the satisfaction of
seeing something concrete completed?  Where is the physical proof of
progress, I submit that for many of us there is non.  One well placed
lightning strike could completely erase the so called "jobs" that we
spend our lives on everyday, how sad.

Lets use a farmer as an example for how I believe we are meant to
live, (you can substitute a carpenter, brick layer, ditch digger or
any other profession that creates something using their hands).  The
farmer works very hard.  Everyday there are chores, everyday.  You all
know what farmers do so I will stop the details there.

Now I know that for every job there is someone tired of doing it, but
the farmer has something that most of us do not have, reflection.  At
the end of the day  they are tired, they are dirty, they are ready to
quit for the day, but they also have accomplished something real.
Real animals are cared for, real crops planted or harvested.  They can
see actual progress and they have actual proof of their
accomplishments.

They also have the luxury of others being able to see their progress.
Can you show with the waive of your hand what you did at your job
today?

Don't start with the "My job is important and necessary" arguments.
Is it really?  


Come on there is no one here to impress, just me and you.  
If your job ended tomorrow would anyone miss it?  


If you can not honestly say yes then you should consider what the friend I mentioned
at the beginging of this has asked me on more than one occasion.
(Sorry Joe if I don't get this perfect.)

"If money was not an issue, and if you could have any job in the
world, what job would make you the happiest?"

Now with that answer in mind, how do we get you there?