Our Rural Roots

Jennifer Campbell, Progressive Farmer Contributor

My mottos for life come from a country church sign and a '70s classic rock song.

Some 20 or more years ago, I was headed to one of our farms and randomly chose a different route than normal. The road took me right to the corner where Rocklike Christian Church sits, and as usual, my eye was drawn to their sign.

Right there in front of me, sitting in the cab of that tractor, I read nine words that literally changed the way I look at life.

"Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination."

It hit me right in the feels, and the words imprinted on my brain. We spend so much time saying, "Once planting is done, things will be less stressful." Or, "When spraying is done, things will slow down." Or, "Once harvest is complete, we can take a deep breath." Isn't that the equivalent of wishing time away? And, let's be honest, we aren't getting any younger.

One of my all-time favorite songs is "Life's Been Good" by Joe Walsh. The rhythm is catchy, and one line speaks right to my soul.

"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do. Life's been good to me so far."

Does that mean every day is happy-go-lucky? Absolutely not. By no means am I "happy" moving hogs and pressure-washing barns on a 95% humidity day. But that's just a part of the life and job I love. It's when I remind myself I won't have to do it again for six weeks that I smile, turn up the music and keep washing.

These two sayings sum up the way I try to live each day: Not every day works out that way. But it sure doesn't hurt to travel happy, because truly, life's been good to me so far.

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Jennifer (Jent) Campbell draws inspiration and travels to her own tune from a seven-generation Indiana family farm. She also writes a blog called Farm Wife Feeds (https://farmwifefeeds.com/…). Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @plowwife and on the podcast @girlstalkag

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