Kaye's Days

Yesterday, I took a trip with a friend of mine and her family to a farm. I’ve been to the countryside before, as I have a few relatives who live out there, but I’d never been to a farm until then. My only exposure to farms had been television and I always figured they were unrealistic. It is TV, after all.

I had a great time. I enjoyed seeing all the animals, took several pictures, and even got a video of a rooster crowing. In fact, roosters were crowing the whole time we were there, so that destroys the myth they only crow in the morning. I’m guessing Hollywood invented that.

However, I can’t say I’d be thrilled to go again. I’m glad I could go, and was able to spend time with my friend and her family, but if I somehow ever decide I want to move to the countryside, it will never be out of a desire to be a farmer.

First and foremost, practically the whole farm was filthy. I know that seems like a big “duh”, but keep in mind although I’ve moved multiple times in my life, I have always lived in cities. Small ones, but cities nonetheless. Yes, I know cities are dirty too, but this was much dirtier than I’m used to. There were flies everywhere, even on some of the animals (the farm dog had flies hanging around on his ears!), and the children and I had to continuously be very careful of where we stepped to avoid stepping in animal waste in the large areas. I’m not insensitive, so I realize that’s just part of life for the people who live on that farm, but for me, someone who has not grown up that way, that’s disgusting and nowhere near normal. I have to admit if I’d been told that beforehand, I would’ve backed out of going because if I so much as knew about a place as filthy as that, I’d avoid it like a plague. Even some of the furniture they have, like a fridge, was dirty.

My friend tried to console me by reminding me that humans also have waste and, when I said flies are disease-ridden, have diseases too. That’s true, yes, but that did not help me feel better. Humans, at least as I’ve been taught, do that business in the privacy of a bathroom with the door locked! When humans get sick, we stay in bed until we’re well again or, if it’s severe, seek medical attention. In the case that we can’t stay home until we’re well again, we take over-the-counter medicine and carry tissues with us to avoid spreading our illness to other people. Yes, some people aren’t that considerate, but most people I’ve met are. I don’t think the same can be said for flies, and frankly, I don’t like most insects anyway. Flies, in particular, disgust me.

The bottom line is while I admire the work they do, that’s not a lifestyle I could live. No, I wasn’t expecting all the animals to be cute and cuddly, but I certainly wasn’t expecting flies to be swarming either. We couldn’t even eat without flies around. I wasn’t expecting a farm to be as pristine as a hospital, but I wasn’t expecting that level of filth either. My friend teased me a bit about being a complete city girl and I suppose I can’t say she’s wrong. I’ve grown up across cities, so what else could I be? However, considering other nature trips I’ve enjoyed, like hiking, I’d say it’s less of a “city girl” thing and more of a “this is too much filth for me” thing.