Kari Bernard is closing her new artistic vegetable stand for the winter; we’ll miss her. She sells some of the best vegetables we ever buy and presents them creatively and with an artist’s eye. She is one of the women who are transforming the food we believe in our small country town. We stopped by to get some of her delicious celery, one of my favorite foods now.

She lived and worked in Los Angeles for a while and loved it, but loves our county even more. She wanted to return here to build her food business and farming skills.

In this case, “artistic” means the setting and presentation are colorful and creative, and the food is lovely. I also buy my raw honey there. Maria and I talked long about our choices between security and vocation (instead of a job, we follow our passions).

In modern America, choosing a vocation over security and a fat retirement fund is complex. Keri was saying her parents both had union jobs with pensions, and they are planning to build a new home in their retirement. She doubts that is something she and most young Americans will ever be able to do. She is a farmer, and farming is a vocation, and having an occupation often means having little or no money set aside for retirement or when one gets too old to work.

Keri, like us, is doing something she loves. She hopes to have money in the bank when she gets old. I don’t think there’s much chance of that for Maria and me. We made our choice – to do what we love for as long as we can – and we have no regrets. The whole financial system in America preaches and profits from the need to save a lot of money so that we can retire comfortably, which is challenging to do, even on Social Security.

We made a deal – we will follow our vocation – writing, photography, fiber art – and accept the challenge we might face when we can’t work anymore. We believe we are put on this earth to be happy and content, not just to work like slaves to make a lot of money for the end of our lives.

We made the decision knowingly, with our eyes open. We are sticking with the deal. I hope that Keri does, also.

It helps that Maria is younger than I am. It also helps that we both work on our blogs and have drawn thousands of people to our lives and work.

Many support our blogs through social media outlets like Paypal, Facebook, and donations. Without this, we could not do what we do.

Keri is right. We ought to have the same options in life that our parents had, but America is a different place now.  I believe strongly in acceptance; I don’t lament the things I can’t change. I need to live my life no matter what the corporations tell me to do.

(Keri Bernard (below). A creative farmer living her life.)

Lives are complex and increasingly expensive in our spiritually greedy country. Health Care costs alone put people under pressure.

Creatives struggle to live their lives. So do many farmers. But we are doing what we live and are happy and most often fulfilled. Our lives are not paradise or struggle-free.

But our hearts are open, and our souls are blessed with happiness with our choices and work. I used to have jobs, but now I have a vocation.

No matter what is ahead, I made a good deal with my life. I believe that people appreciate creativity and want to see it. It is the duty of the artist to present color and light to the world, thus offering comfort.

Don’t get a day job, I tell young creatives just starting. You’ll never go back. Vocations are hard work. The survivors seem to be the ones who won’t quit. I am one of them. Maria is another.

Money is important. We all need to make money and pay our bills. Working only for money is something very different. To me,  that is a form of slavery.

Thanks for following your dream, Keri. We had a great talk with you.

Hang in there.