Have you ever noticed America’s work ethic is dwindling at a record pace?
Our friend, a first generation, self-made millionaire, has a lot to say about this. He contributes it to the fact that people don’t understand the law of the harvest. Every generation that isn’t raised on a farm, is one more generation that doesn’t understand…if you don’t get up out of bed and care for crops and animals even in the worst conditions, you will become extinct.
America was built on the bounty of lots and lots of ants. Now we have lots of money sucking leeches. The old parable The Ant and The Grasshopper called these lazy folks grasshoppers. What most lazy grasshoppers forget is…ants feed them. Someday the smarty pants, capitalistic ants will tire of feeding the socialist grasshoppers and the gravy train will dry up. (Just ask those folks in Europe.)
Here in my wheat field we quote my Dad and say “We gotta make hay while the sun shines.”
What that means is. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. Period. A noble concept isn’t it? In fact it’s stupid simple. I like simple.
The American farmer or any other entrepreneurial spirited person understands this. If the forecast says rain for the next five days and you have hay on the ground, it’s going to be ruined if you don’t bale it. If you don’t bale it, in January when the snow flies, your livestock (cattle, sheep, horses, chickens, goats) or whatever will starve. Starving animals mean starving families, and money and futures down the drain.
I encourage you to teach your children the law of the harvest and how grasshoppers are pride-less cowards that don’t thrive. There’s a storm brewing. The rain clouds are building. We all need to make hay while the sun shines.
Simply,
Sis
Tags: ant and grasshoppers, don't work don't eat, entrepreneurial spirit, law of the harvest, make hay while the shun shines, work ethic
Remarkable!
You would think others would understand this simple concept that even the wild animals live by. People just seem to think “the world owes them a living”, but as times get rougher and we each will need to work harder just to support ourselves the “gravy train” may be drying up.
If each person would work to raise at least some of the food they consume, spend less on things they don’t need, and try to recycle what they throw away the world might be a different place.
Even those in the city can still try to garden, have backyard chickens for fresh eggs and be as frugal as possible. This results in much greater standard of living on less money.
Farmfresh~ love your site! Love your comments!
I understand not everyone can produce stuff to eat. But (and that’s a big butt) if everyone at least worked–doing something–anything and lived within their means- this great country would be great again. Unshakable, really.
One person at a time we can change. I’m starting with me. Thanks for stopping by. Sandhill Sis
Great post and so true.
Self-made is a myth, the only way it’s possible is if the guy never had anyone’s help doing anything. If that’s the case, he was never born, raised, educated, given a loan, employed, or paid. Also, he would never have had an employee, a vehicle, a home, or anything else for that matter. The only way a person can be self made is if they do absolutely nothing with their lives, and not live within society. Sorry, the rest of your article makes good sense, but I just can’t stand when people say “self-made”. It’s such an ignorant American thing to say. As Americans we should give credit to the hard workers that build cars, infrastructure, and U.S. made products. We should also give credit to the workers of the world who make the inexpensive goods we use to get ourselves to new economic levels. Without the help of others, we can become nothing. There are no self-made millionaires, not even trust fund kids.
Yeah that is a nice metaphor for dwindling work ethics in the USA.
However, farming, as a whole, is being subsidised by the US government.
Which means, the farmer is the grasshopper that is being supported by ants that have learned to not only work hard, but also simple.
Things should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.
In this case, your message is too simple.
Think about it.
Whew–seems like Sis hit a nerve here…
Kari–thanks–glad you thought so.
Karl–from your answer I can see you have never lived on a farm or ranch therefore missing the point of who really feeds you (and the rest of the world.) Very efficiently, I might add. The government gives lots of money to the public schools too–but, I don’t think we should throw teachers under the bus. Sorry you felt my message was too simple. Simple is what I do here. I even welcome Simpletons back for other visits.
Ross–Self-made…or first generation…for me, the author, they both fit. Thanks for sharing your views.
Have a grrrrreat day!
Sandhill Sis
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I’m having trouble identifying who the grasshoppers are. Don’t get me wrong, I live and work on a farm, but I see a whole lot of capitalist grasshoppers. And, seems to me like ants are societies that could best be mimicked by pure Communism (not the Russian/Chinese totalitarianism) in humans. The grasshoppers in our society include a) investment bankers, for the most part; b) commodities traders (you want some sick people, just look there); c) import/export retailers; d) drug dealers and similar; e) anyone who actually just sits around watching TV, waiting for the unemployment check.
Thing is, though, I don’t know anybody who falls in category E, nor have I ever met anyone in that category. The guy across the street from me lost his job after Hurricane Ike, and still hasn’t found a new one. So, he picks up odd jobs in the neighborhood, plants a huge garden and shares the excess, generally takes care of things that need doing on the block. Plus, he always watches out for our house when we’re at work. I know his family’s struggling since it’s only his wife’s income, but he’s no grasshopper, nor are any of the unemployed folks I’ve met.
David–enjoyed your thoughts…even though I don’t agree with all of them. As for catagory E–I have met people who fall into that catagory–those who want handouts not hand-ups. *gag* Your neighbor is not one of them. He is working hard to do what he has to, to feed and protect his family while being a good neighbor. If more people acted like him…the world would be a better place. The amount of money you make or don’t make has very little to do with if you are a grasshopper or not. Thanks for stopping by to discuss it.
Sis