My Beloved Hills
I grew up in the western part of NY state, on the lake plain. The land is flat like a table and very fertile. We rented several farms over the years and each has a place in my heart. Those fields and woods and streams had a great influence on me and made me, in many ways, the man that I am today. I come from a long line of farmers on both sides of my family tree. Mom’s dad was born in the Old Order Amish and her kin still farm in the midwest. My father’s father was a drunk and squandered away his farm, so my father had to start from scratch. I don’t have the benifit of land that was handed down through a long line of Terrys. There are not several generations of my people buried here. This will, I hope, be my contribution to my descendents. A land that has with it a “sense of place”. A rootedness, if you will. My wife has this rootedness here in these hills and on this very hilltop. Her people settled this land and farmed it until this current generation, a generation that has left the agrarian life. So in a sense I too have roots here, as my bride and I are made one flesh. This land has been watered with the sweat and blood of her people, and my sweat and blood has mingled with theirs. Our children will have what I didn’t, land with ansestoral ties. When I first came to these hills, I wasn’t much impressed. Over the last, well…almost a decade now, I have come to call these hills my home and love them dearly. They are a part of me and I am a part of them. Every stand of timber, every stream, creek and meadow are as familiar to me as my own hands. This little peice of God’s earth feeds, clothes and warms me and my family. I have at long last, found my place and planted my roots.
April 27th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
I really relate to this post. I took my family from England to my ancestral home in Ireland , and we knew nobody over here. My family in England is about a disfunctional as you could get with all of the aggrevated social and moral consequences therein. I was part of that big time for well over twenty years.
There is a little Island called Achill over off the west cost and that is where my grandfather was born. There are five families that still make up seventy percent of the population on the Island and my roots are one of those. Driving around the cliffs and beaches I found the old graveyard with all my dead relatives buried, some of the grave stones were just rocks and so many had back to front letters and misspellings crudely carved by the barely literate carver.
To have land watered by the blood of your forefathers efforts allows those new members roots to go deep and quick and hold them. I hope please god to establish a multigenerational homestead . I have five daughters and no sons , so this work will be carried on by another , but that is as it should be.
Thankyou for such inspiring words.
April 28th, 2007 at 11:59 am
That was beautifully said, Scott. There is a lyrical/spiritual quality to your words that is reminiscent of Herrick Kimball’s writing. What a blessing to call a place your own and be assured that your children will be able to say the same.
April 28th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Well said. The multi-generational connectedness to the land is a beautiful thing. Our area of the country is so transient. One of the reasons for wanting to move is to live in an area where we can see ourselves raising our grandchildren.
April 28th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
What a great post. It is something that many of us wish for. Too much moving around and away from people. It is good to be there where your wife is from. Your children will benefit from it.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:58 am
Colin
Thanks for sharing your story, its always nice to hear from readers from “across the pond”. You will be in our prayers. If you check back in here, perhaps you could tell us a little about agricuture in Ireland. I find the country to be a facinating place, and I would love to hear some first hand reporting.
Emily
Thanks for your kind words. It was nice of you to campare my writting to Herrick, but truth be known I shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence with Mr. Kimball. He is a master with words and I have trouble even spelling words
Terry and Marci
Thank you for the encouragement as well. It is true that our modern age is a transient one. In this respect, the automobile and the airplane have been a far bigger curse than a blessing. Its just to easy leave ones people these days. It has caused the death of the extended family for most folks. When we live to far away to take care of own elderly, it has caused us to commit a great sin as well. Worse than infidels the scriptures tell us.
April 30th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
scot
Something remarkable still exists and is considered natural over here in the west of Ireland, namely the multigenerational family living in close proximity. I think that ‘poverty’ and human suffering have in a way forged links that are hard to break. The peasant way of live, and by peasant I dont mean anything derogatory is of the biblical pattern. Behind our homestead there is a family of Finns, Micky Finn’s house is next door to his mothers who lives with his sister, a field away lives Micky’s son with his family. 4 generations inhabiting a square mile of land that they own and have owned for centuries. The same pattern is commonplace throughout rural Ireland.
The land in the west is peaty, acid and wet. I suppose this is why short of a polytunnel the staple diet of the Irishman would be considered pretty bland by modern standards, Potatoes and cabbage with some ham and eggs thrown in. However if you want milk this is dairy land!!
The Rainy climate , which some may consider a big downfall has meant that large families living in small cottages for large amounts of time are more strongly welded together. Another boon from this is the abundance of crafts , folklore and storytelling.
Anyway bye for now
God Bless
Colin
May 2nd, 2007 at 3:55 am
Thanks Colin, its woderful to hear the whole world hasn’t surcome to the “progress” of modernism! Sounds like you folks have something special there, encourage your neighbors not to change for the sake of change. I’ve seen “progress” and it is an ugly mess that will take many years of faithful work to erase. We still have a remnant of your culture here in the southern hills of the US. Those who the agrarian advocates of the 30’s called the “plain folk”, were mostly of Scotish and Irish stock. Stay in touch with us Brother, and May the Lord bless you all in abundance.