As a recovering perfectionist, I find great comfort in the perfectly imperfect. I learned a few years back, that it's just not possible to hold my entire life to crazy media induced standards or I will go bonkers. Trying to keep up with the perception of what the Joneses have going on is one of those Sisyphus faces punishment uphill battles.
I am keenly aware of the fact that social media does not help any of us who suffer under the strong arm of perfection. Images shared can sometimes leave us feeling that we're not good enough, not gorgeous enough, not young enough, not working hard enough, not creative enough, not volunteering enough, not being a good enough family member, not traveling enough or don't have the right things.
Social media certainly has its pros and cons. I really enjoy connecting with everyone via Facebook and Instagram, but I worry that I may be sending the wrong messages. I am also aware of social media's potential dangers when I myself experience those feelings of not enough after a sift-through-the-images session. To maintain my sanity, I either turn it off or remember to read through the lines and train my view on the scene behind the photographer. Life experience reminds me these images are only a tiny part of the complete human experience. Some days are great. Some days suck. Not everything is as it seems.
William told me one time when he was a kid, somebody stopped by the farm to buy eggs and knocked at the door. He and his sister had been playing wildly, and when the man asked how things were on the farm, they answered, "The couch is broken, the house is a mess and the cat just shit on the floor!" Those life messes don't make the Facebook or Instagram images very often, but they certainly make up a good portion of what life is really about.
People who contact me often start with, "I can imagine how busy you are..." or "You must work all the time..." or "You are so ambitious!" I feel bad when I read these words because I know the truth - some days my lazy bones have very deep roots! I suspect these assumptions are a result of the narrow view I choose to share through social media or in my writings. What you see on the screen is only a tiny, and often happy part of the farm experience. You're not seeing all of the unfinished projects, the messes that need to be cleaned up, the mud that is everywhere this time of year, the enormous weeds I can't keep up with in summer, or the days when sitting is all I can do. Yes, I think it's true that I am often ambitious, but sometimes there are so many things needing attention, that I walk past thinking, "It's good enough. Perfectly imperfect is fine today."
The next couple of months will be insanely busy as planting is on the doorstep and the restaurant will be under construction. I suspect a broken couch, messy house and animal dookie in a few wrong places entirely possible! Making no excuses, but reminding myself of Alexander Pope's words in that durned LONG poem we all had to read in high school, "To err is human; to forgive, divine." IN THE STORE
The big news next week will be VENMO! We hear you. You want to have the option to pay with VENMO. We've got our accounts set up and hopefully by next week we'll have a scannable QR Code in the store with directions for payment. Of course, we will continue to accept cash or checks as well.
A new batch of Elderberry Maple Shrub is ready for you this week, and I am SMITTEN with this one! An ounce of this infusion on ice with a bit of Raspberry/Cranberry LaCroix is seriously delightful non-alcoholic sipper.
We will have a new soup or two, but I am behind on that, so look for info on Facebook on Thursday.
Until next week, I'm sending love from the muddy farm!
Sarah