Maria and I were heading out for an afternoon walk and a car from Ohio slowed and moved on. There were two women inside and they waved to us and drove on. We recognize the slowing of the car outside of the farm. It’s familiar.
When we got to the bottom of the hill, the car was parked along the road. They were photographing a waterfall on the edge of the farm. One – her name was Emily – smiled shyly and said “I have to be honest. We came from Ohio to attend Jenna Woginrich’s chicken-slaughtering workshop and we just had to come bye and see your farm. We weren’t about to leave without driving by.” Emily was with Solitaire, her companion and the two of them live in Dig City, Ohio and are beginning to get serious about homesteading – they have rescue dogs, a horse and some chickens. Jenna is an inspiration to them, as she is to many people trying to find meaningful lives in a selfish and greedy corporate culture.
Emily and Solitaire had driven 12 and 1/2 hours to come to Jenna’s workshop and we invited them to come to the farm and meet Simon and the donkeys. When we got back, they were sitting in the driveway with Mother and Minnie. Emily told me that she had been through a tough time in her life and some mornings, my blog was the only thing that kept her going. Now she also reads Maria’s and Jenna’s every day. It is my deepest wish to be a light unto the world through my work, my life and my photography. To hear these two independent and lovely people talk about my work in the way they did was powerful and humbling. They were a bit shy with me, and I guess I was a bit shy with them. I couldn’t express what I felt.
They met the donkeys, the chickens, and did some serious Lenore cuddling and picture-taking. Solitaire just about melted with Lenore right into the ground. Lots of love.
Emily kept apologizing for disturbing us, and there was perhaps a time when I might have felt that way about this encounter. I have never thought of myself as a celebrity, and never see myself that way and when I began to be well known, the interest people took in me was sometimes disturbing and frightening. I never imagined being stalked. This all takes getting used to, and I will not live in hiding or in a closet. If you can do good with it all, you should. Daily news reports notwithstanding, I find most people to be good and true – like Emily and Solitaire. It is true also that Maria has opened me up in many ways. Her graciousness is infectious. These two never meant to bother me and never would have if we hadn’t walked right into them. It was a precious encounter.
How fortunate I am to have a home and life people draw something from and want to share. How grateful I am for their love and support.