Over the weekend, I was on vacation in a very rural section of Ontario, Canada. There were a number of farms in the community, one of which was run by a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It just so happened that this farm also offered pick-your-own organic strawberries.
And if there is one thing that I could do for the rest of my life, it’s picking organic strawberries.
I knew that I had to pay the farm a visit. And so I did.
The farm was comfortably nestled in the late 1800s. Walking up the driveway, it was if we had entered a time machine of sorts. A woman in her late 40s greeted us and shook our hands. She was wearing an ankle-long, old-fashioned farm dress that tried (unsuccessfully) to hide the fact that she was very attractive.
She gave us a tour of the farm and showed us some of their 32 million bees (as they are beekeepers by trade and strawberry farmers by hobby). Three things struck me:
- The simplicity by which this family lives.
- The happiness this woman radiates.
- The satisfaction that she embodies.
The farm hardly had electricity. There were no computers, televisions or gaming systems. The family was practically Amish. To someone who earns a living through the computer, it was quite shocking.
Yet, they were incredibly happy. In our efforts to expand technology and its role in our lives, I sometimes forget that it isn’t a means to happiness or a requirement thereof. A happier life is quite independent of our level of connectedness. This was shock number two.
Moreover, this woman was completely content with what she has. My friend and I discussed marketing strategies that the family could employ to reach a larger market and make more money. Only after some discussion did we realize that they don’t want to reach more people or make more money. Sure there are things that they could do to make more money, but they are happy with what they have and extremely grateful for everything. Shock number three.
There is a word for wanting more and more and more. It’s called greed, and it’s a philosophy by which so many of us live. We want a larger salary, a bigger apartment or home, fancier jewelry, new cars and so on. So many of us – myself included – get caught up in it. Always striving for more, but never grateful or content with that which we already have.
At any rate, I am thankful for the wonderful experience of visiting this farm, picking strawberries (and dipping them in honey) and having a much needed reality check.
July 13, 2009 at 6:14 pm
We all need to get back to the basics sometimes. Get back to the pure root of happiness. Contentment with life.
July 13, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Indeed… I’m currently deciding weather it is brave or not to leave a well paid job I’m not particularly good at and pursue something for a lot less money but that I enjoy? Or of course.. it could be seen as quite brave to stick it out at my current job? Hummmm?? Think I’ll get some strawberries tomorrow and see if they speak to me!
July 13, 2009 at 6:21 pm
“bee”autiful!! I’ve never had honey and skrawberries!! My mom does swear by organic honey though!
July 13, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I have believed for a long time that people with simple — I mean uncomplicated — lives are the happiest people. Your experience with this family provides another bit of evidence of this being true.
Strawberries dipped in honey — that is decadent.
July 13, 2009 at 6:30 pm
I can see where you are coming from.
I grew up in a very rural area in Scotland with only my animals and family for company, especially in the summer months. Now I live in a city while I study for my undergrad and work in a nightclub I can see just how lucky I was to grow up in those surroundings.
Sometimes it is nice to just let technology and the associated stress slip away and get back to looking after horses and just focusing on being alive rather than preparing for the future.
July 13, 2009 at 7:07 pm
That looks beyond delicious. I think I have some strawberries in my refrigerator, and I think I just figured out what I’m going to eat for dinner.
July 13, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I think we are all happier when life is simple and easy.
July 13, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Dave,
I see where you’re coming from, and, based on my beliefs, I would add something to give a bit more dimension into us as human beings:
“There is a word for wanting more and more and more. It’s called greed.” I feel this is a bit off. I agree with you in saying “Always striving for more, but never grateful or content with that which we already have” IS greed, however, I’d say that the former quote is called ambition.
When I am grateful and look forward in my life to what I can achieve, be or have, I feel the Energetic Alignment of the Universe unlock for me in supernatural ways, whereas when I simply look at What’s Next without regarding What Is (or regard What Is as “bad”), I stay stuck because I have not yet acknowledged what lies in front of me.
July 13, 2009 at 8:43 pm
From the way it sounds it was a very refreshing (and eye opening) trip. The strawberries and honey look wonderful!
Ciao!
July 13, 2009 at 10:07 pm
“And if there is one thing that I could do for the rest of my life, it’s picking organic strawberries.” Then do it. There are hundreds of migrant farmworkers who pick our food everyday. Please be grateful to them for providing the all the food you have today.
July 13, 2009 at 10:11 pm
It’s kind of interesting watching you go through the same process I did years ago. I feel a sort of kinship in that regard, though you have to wade through a much more materialistic, self-centered and sexual meme than I did. It’ll be interesting to see if you end up capitalizing on your experiences (like Erhard, Chopra, Winfrey, et al.) or or just integrate them into your life and become a better person for them. Enjoy your journey. Many have been there before you.
July 13, 2009 at 11:47 pm
PS: For instance, Davey, you say dumb s**t like, “She was wearing an ankle-long, old-fashioned farm dress that did tried [sic] (unsuccessfully) to hide the fact that she was very attractive.”
Did it even occur to you that perhaps it was not important to her to appear to be attractive (or, in your view, “sexually attractive.”) Your obsession with physical attraction (you gleefully stalk a young attractive man masturbating in a window across from you but are grossly offended by an “older, unattractive” man watching you from a balcony across the way), rings a huge bullshit alarm to your “spiritual” wannabe blog postings. What is going to be your position when you yourself are no longer a young, sexually attractive being?
You need to make some really, really big (and I mean huge) adjustments in your perception before you can be accepted as an enlightened being. Keep posting half-naked pictures of yourself with platitudes stolen from others and you will have an audience of people who will try to please you because they want to f**k you (you are seriously very sexually attractive) even though their chance are nil.
I think you can do better than this. I think you are smart. I think your intentions are good. But you are young. Keep striving. Seriously look beyond the physical and enjoy life the best you can.
All the best to you. I won’t come back to critique you any more, I just wish you the best on your journey. I love you and wish you a joyous life,
Joe
July 14, 2009 at 8:01 am
Oh come on.
What is wrong with being aware of physicality?
We are physical beings living in a physical world. Whatever you believe – soulwise- we are our bodies, our life experience is defined by what our bodies do, perceive, and how we interact with other bodies. Humans are visual beings (neurolinguistically, even, most people use a visual language to communicate). Our physical appearance is part of how we communicate. Our presence is a message that are others perceive.
While it’s true that being overtly concerned with physical appearance would render a person shallow and empty (Plato did say that the first stages of love involved loving the beautiful forms), ignoring it entirely is very hypocritical. Either trying to live only by looks, or trying at all costs not to, one would still be making physical appearance a priority.
Davey’s not a budhist monk trying to control his worldly impulses. It’s natural for him to notice and be aroused by hotness in his environment. Granted, he coexists in society that is highly obsessed with the ideal of beauty, and while that aspect may surface a little in his blog (it’s inevitable), it’s part of who he is – and that honesty about himself validates his quest for love, peace, happiness, etc., and it’s what makes his blog so refreshing.
July 13, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Hi Davey,
I swear I don’t mean to nit-pick or anything and I normally wouldn’t say anything, however, for some reason today it just really bothered me. It’s grammatically incorrect to say “did tried”, it just doesn’t make sense. ‘Did’ shows the past tense, and with the operator (do, does, did) we use the infinitive (or dictionary form) of the main verb. So it would either have to be ‘tried’ or ‘did try’.
Anyways, great post otherwise!
July 14, 2009 at 12:06 am
i was just about to type that! really annoyed me too!
July 14, 2009 at 8:15 am
Yeah Davey.
That was very dissapointing. It’s unacceptable that someone who plans on writing a book makes such mistakes on his blog. I thought the post was actually smart until I stumbled upon such a grammatical error, and then I thought “Hm, maybe he’s not all that smart, if he writes that way”. Such mistakes completely invalidate the message you’re sending. I was going to share that post, but then I thought that if people saw that I sent it, they were going to think I was simple-minded.
…
Seriously guys.
Give Davey a break. He’s a nerd. It was obviously a miscue.
July 14, 2009 at 8:59 am
Lolz… sorry about the typo. With almost 1700 posts, it happens! I fixed it.
July 13, 2009 at 11:03 pm
sounds like a glorious vacation!
July 13, 2009 at 11:33 pm
because peasant’s habit is simple,
I love eat strawberry.
July 14, 2009 at 12:15 am
Jehovah’s witnesses so called are anti gay. doesnt that bother you?
July 14, 2009 at 7:13 am
that would bother me that they are anti-gay-id steer away from that-but you were their for strawberries-nice encounter-nice revelation.we learn from our experiences.
July 14, 2009 at 8:16 am
Maybe they care about the gays when they buy their strawberries…
July 14, 2009 at 4:16 am
Does one really has to eat organic strawberry’s en dip them in honey to get to the full meaning of life?
July 14, 2009 at 8:37 am
well…
I think the key is to find several uses for strawberries and honey…
(I think with Jehova’s witnesses, as long as you’re married, anything goes…)
July 14, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Having been born and raised within a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses, it certainly is not ‘as long as you’re married, anything goes….’ The unfortunate thing is that people say things like this and propagate these myths and lies, which many people, in turn, mistake for truth. There are moral standards that they are expected to live up to, and that applies to everyone. If you are homosexual, you’re expected to remain celibate and refrain from any homosexual activity. If you are heterosexual and married, you are expected to remain with your spouse/mate and not cheat/stray.
That being said, I am who I am and have been for as long as I’ve been alive. Cryptic? Yes. But I don’t place myself in neat little boxes when it comes to sexuality and gender expression. Is it accepted in that religion? No. I don’t need it to be. Did they try (in vain) to “change” me? Yes. It didn’t work. But at the core, they are mostly good people.
I’ve been of age for a few years, and have seen so much where that religion is concerned. Yes, there are hypocrites and bigots everywhere, including within that religious group. Maybe all that they did want that day was Davey’s money.
But enough of that. Strawberries and honey are such an excellent combination. Strawberries and Godiva too!! And simplicity is needed every once in a while. We’d all do well to keep that in mind. Paring things back will not kill us. I can only hope that it will open our eyes to what we truly are missing in our never ending pursuits of things that we cannot take with us when we die.
July 14, 2009 at 1:32 pm
With ‘anything goes’ I meant in terms of one’s spouse and the use for strawberries and honey… [attempt at a lame joke there...]
but you’re right, I suppose I was being insensitive to someone with a JW background. I have had a few confrontations with several JW healthwise, and I have come to abhor the beliefs behind the rigidity of their practices, but scorning an entire group people for a mere part of what they are (their religious belief) is bigotry. For that, I apologize.
July 31, 2009 at 4:56 pm
an eye-opener..
I just you-tubed a Sally Jessy Raphael show where they talk about “ex-gays”, and an old, very religious mormon couple talked about their work in a Pro-gay and lesbian organization, how much they loved their gay son, and how unChristian it was to condemn gay people. Religious, church-going, devoted mormons. and they spoke beautifully. So full of love. I almost cried.
It definitely made me question anything I ever thought I knew about mormons…
July 14, 2009 at 5:07 am
I think it’s my turn to go picking the organic strawberries now. I was.. wow.. thinking it was so worth it… if the strawberries inspired Davey to write such long and lovely note
However, I need to refrain from dipping them into the melting Godiva chocolate… 
Thanks Davey for sharing a wonderful experience on strawberries picking.
July 14, 2009 at 6:19 am
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you would apply these inspirations to your own life, instead of merely delighting in their truth.
July 14, 2009 at 6:37 am
Davey, it remids me of where I grew up. I’m a south texas country boy at heart. This brings back memories. Thanks! for sharing.
July 14, 2009 at 7:17 am
Just exactly what I needed to hear. I don’t need more. I am more than pleased, grateful, for what I have. I don’t need any thing more.
July 14, 2009 at 7:48 am
Thanks for this, Davey. It’s the type of post one rarely sees.
My connection is through the same faith as she, and no, I find nothing objectionable (as another commenter did) about “She was wearing an ankle-long, old-fashioned farm dress that did tried (unsuccessfully) to hide the fact that she was very attractive,” (assuming you don’t positively drool about the subject in other posts)
Contentment with the basics is rare these days, much less gratitude for the basics. One thinks of (as I’m sure she does) 1 Tim 6:7-8 “For we have brought nothing into the world, and neither can we carry anything out. So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things.” (and surrounding verses, on the same theme.)
Not to suggest that it’s only through the bible that one can nurture this attitude, but plainly, it’s a dying attitude.
And, like you, you-know-what will freeze over before I toss the computer.
July 14, 2009 at 8:16 am
That’s why I see nothing wrong with VERY high taxes on VERY high incomes (say over $300,000-$400,000). There should be less motivation to make sky-high salaries. In fact I think people should be DISCOURAGED to make more than that. The more people make, the more unneeded crap they buy and more pollution is produced etc. I’m all about SIMPLE LIVING !!
July 14, 2009 at 8:27 am
To:Carlos,You’ve”said-it-ALL”, Perfectly! i, you and “most” of the rest on this blog “think-the -world”of Davey Wavey! ___davvi
July 14, 2009 at 8:38 am
hehe
yeah, Davey rules!
July 14, 2009 at 8:31 am
Several things come to mind when reading your post:
1. Non-organic strawberries have a high content of chemical pesticides (very unhealthy to eat them).
2. One can actually be happy being a Jehova’s witness… (if one is not gay, or injured, or,…)
3. Simplicity is the key to happiness.
I’m not a religious guy, but it’s funny how “capital sins” represent behaviors that should be kept under control for our health and wellbeing (lust, gluttony, pride, envy, sloth [laziness], anger, greed). All of these are present in everyone’s lives, at least as impulses, but unchecked they lead to our demise.
However, we live in a society that actually rewards greed. Naomi Klein once said that the current capitalistic system is not smart, that it actually thinks like a crack addict in the sense that it gives positve feedback to a behavior that is harmful.
If we think about the problems that our modern society is faced with (poverty, inequality, global warming, hunger-globalized obesity, animal torture in industrialized farms, pollution, sexual exploitation, slavery…), greed is behind all of them.
July 14, 2009 at 8:45 am
Well, Carlos. Since you choose to “dis’”Davey, then i say2u: F. . .-Off,u Jealous M-F’er!!! —davvi
July 14, 2009 at 8:48 am
??
July 14, 2009 at 9:20 am
Davey – a wonderful observation!! The best things in life are free…love…consideration for others etc. I don’t necessarily find fault with capitalism as a system, but rather the people who are greedy an use capitalism and comercialism to exploit others. We are brainwashed into believing that material goods and satisfying our every lust will bring us happiness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Thanks for sharing!!!!
July 14, 2009 at 9:51 am
out in calif.,strawberries are forever! I drink smoothies all the time,the guy from up north knowns me by name,cheers, jose………P.S., he sure looks hot without a shirt in his farmers jeans…..
July 14, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Nice blog!
Four years ago my partner and I walked away from our lives in Los Angeles and moved to Louisiana where we bought a farm. I’ve spent the past years making it “as self reliant as possible” growing upwards of 95% of the food we eat. We have our own water from wells, food from the fields, and after wheat harvest next week we’ll devote time to getting our micro-hydros on line and we’ll have our own electricity too. We’re not cut off, not disconnected…we still have our satellite dish, our computers and cell phones. But a point that a simpler life…one devoted to working the land, living from it…knowing where the food you eat is coming from. It really infects the way you think about life outside that farm. Somethings just aren’t as important anymore. Other things are much much more important than you ever imagined they could be. Take it as you will but, it’s a much better life when you’re connected to the land. Take care of it and it takes care of you.
July 14, 2009 at 1:13 pm
ohh..such a good message, i needed that.
July 15, 2009 at 9:04 am
One of my favorite topics you have posted so far!
I think one of the key points here is a feeling of gratitude for what the universe has handed you and the feeling that sometimes, its “Enough”.
Living for what brings you true happiness is hard in our society…we are surrounded by media that says you need *THIS* and *THAT* to be truly happy, but ita all lies with the purpose to make you a good consumer.
July 15, 2009 at 1:14 pm
AWESOME!!
Where is this place? address plez.
Thanks,
Oj
October 3, 2009 at 9:56 am
every food that we eat should come from Organic Farming. i really get scared about those toxins coming from chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides. I only eat foods which are certified that they are organically grown