farm

I read in the news this morning about how a little girl was found sleeping out on her great grandparent's farm after having been lost all weekend. I can't imagine how scary that must have been for all concerned but it gives me an idea for a story. It would be a kind of Aice Hoffman type story where this little lost girl isn't traumatized by getting lost but instead is empowered by it and develops a preternateral relationship with the farmland. She grows up to inheriet the land and the story goes on from there.

I guess this interests me so much because I lived in North Eastern Ohio when I was in high school where this story took place. And one of my best memories ever is going to a party at an old beautiful farm in that area. It was like magic. I'm not sure I have the words to recreate this experience. The house was a beautiful white farm house with a wrap around porch set near an orchard which was flowering. This was a late spring graduation party for the grand-daughter of the family.

Inside the house there were many old white haired ladies wearing pastels dresses as if they had juct arrived from church. It might have been on a Sunday actually. The table in the dining room was filled with homemade traditional food, ham, potato salads, beans, cooked vegetables, green salads and all kinds of pies. Another table was loaded with gifts for the graduate.

I went outside to explore a bit and met the graduate's younger borther. He took me on his motocycle all over the farm. He was just really nice and cute too. The graduate was one of those too cool tall blonde girls who would never talk to me so you can imagine my shock at how nice her borther was. But I was just interested in that land there. And so curious about how it must be to come from such a life. Anyway soon the party was over. But it has stuck with me for over 30 years as a beautiful thing.