Fears and Tears, Paleo Cardiologist
Sunday night temps down in the single digits. Putting a dent in the wood pile. And the hay supply. Keeping animals watered when it gets this cold is always a challenge and concern. Still a couple days away from the first day of winter, I’m nervous about what January and February might bring. I’m ready for spring, and winter hasn’t even started.
We had a few meat deliveries this week. Amy and the kids took ORVF meats down to Knoxville on Monday and came back Tuesday morning in time to take more meat orders to Marion. While they were gone, I put some meat on the smoker. It had been a while since we had it fired up. Amy pulled the pork butts on Tuesday afternoon then we sliced and packaged the briskets. ORVF pulled pork and smoked brisket is back available until it’s gone. Grab some for a quick and easy heat and eat meal. We’re saving a few pounds for ourselves going into the holidays.
Wednesday was another cow working day. We rounded up our fall calving cows into the barn to tag and band the baby calves. I used to love pushing baby calves up the chute to the head gate with my brother when I was growing up. Memories are a bit vague as what roles we took on at what ages, but I remember struggling with the calves, getting kicked, banged up, knocked down repeatedly, and loving (almost) every second of it. I would attribute much of my wrestling success to pushing hundreds or likely thousands of young calves down the chute.
Wanting Hallie and Hasten to experience the same work I used to share with my brother, I told them it was their job to get the calves to the head gate. Again, I’m uncertain of the level of our involvement when we were 8 and 10 years old, but I felt like Hallie and Hasten were big enough and completely capable to get the job done together.
They weren’t as excited about the task as I hoped they’d be. Fearful and tearful, they didn’t want to do it. Their fears were legitimate. Baby calves often kick. Would some of those kicks land on the kids? Perhaps. Would it be challenging for them? Absolutely. Could they do it? Absolutely. And though the possibility of acquiring minor bumps and bruises, there was no threat of serious injury. The obstacle to overcome was not the calves, it was their fear.
I’m not suggesting I handled it the right way. Maybe I should’ve just got in there and pushed the calves up myself. Maybe give them a couple more years to grow in strength and confidence. Instead of giving them a couple years, I opted to give them all day. I was in no hurry. However long it took, they were going to bring those calves to the head gate. And they did. Growing in confidence after each calf was successfully tagged and banded. Their fear was never diminished, nor should it. But their confidence and courage grew to outweigh it.
Having courage doesn’t mean not being afraid. It means you do what you’ve got to do even though you are afraid. It’s not the absence of fear; it’s the willingness to face it. I want our kids to be tough. Being tough doesn’t mean never experiencing pain or discomfort. Being tough is experiencing pain and discomfort and choosing to do the job regardless. I know they are kids. But at what point do coddled kids become resilient adults? There is no one step. It’s a lifetime of taking steps.
I have fond memories of my childhood on the farm. The challenges, pain, discomfort, and fears are what makes them memorable. I don’t know how the kids will reflect on their experience working calves this week. Maybe as a day when their mean ol’ dad made them push calves down the chute even though they didn’t want to? Or maybe as a day when they worked together and did something they didn’t know they could do. Time will tell.
Yesterday afternoon Amy and I made the trip down to Bristol and Kingsport to deliver meats, stopping for some last minute Christmas gifts and our monthly date night afterwards. Amy makes most meat deliveries and generally gets more face to face interaction with our customers than I do, but I am always encouraged and overwhelmed with gratitude after each delivery or farmers market. You guys and gals are the best. I know there are a lot of crazy folks in the world (I might even put myself in that category), but but there are a lot of good. We are reminded of that by your smiling faces and thoughtful gestures at each market and delivery. We appreciate you and your trust more than you know.
Feeding hay to cows this week, I finished listening to The Paleo Cardiologist: The Natural Way to Heart Health by Jack Wolfson. I’ve always been a big meat eater, which fits right in with the paleo diet and lifestyle. I’ve also always been a big sweet eater, which is far from paleo and warned against by the Paleo Cardiologist.
“There is little doubt sugar is the absolute worst food for your health… Unfortunately, sugar is the most addictive food on the planet and is responsible for more deaths than all drugs, pharmaceutical and illegal combined.”
“Quitting sugar is not easy, and the world is against us. Conquering this demon is a physical and emotional battle, but trust me, it can be done, and you can do it. I say this because there is no bigger sugar addict than myself, but I slayed the beast and so have hundreds of my patients. This isn’t to say you can never eat sugar again but once per week should be the maximum.”
With Christmas sweets only days away, I’ll likely wait until after the New Year before trying to whittle away at my sugar intake. Coffee intake is another adjustment the Paleo Cardiologist suggests I make.
“Coffee is an addiction, and any addiction is bad… Coffee is one of the most chemically sprayed crops in the world, especially in third world countries where chemical dangers are not recognized… If you’re going to drink coffee, make it organic.”
I love coffee and am not ready to cut it out completely, but 1-2 cups of a higher quality coffee might serve me better in the long run than my typical 3-4. The Paleo Cardiologist gave me a lot to think about, and as always, changes to make.
Have a good week.
Will