https://www.playwrightsguild.ca/play/another-seasons-promise
I was reading a story in the Ontario Farmer this evening about Keith Roulson and his career and life events. I came across this part that spoke about the farm crisis in 1980 with the high interest rates and the impact that had on so many farmers and how they lost their farms because of this. Interest rates peaked at 23% and it was crippling , it was a painful, too painful at times. This kinda hit home as I was one of those farm kids that was effected by this. I don't know the full effect it actually had on my mental being, since I am reminded about it, I plan to reflect on this and let it touch me once again and grow and deal with any ill effects it had. In the mean time, I'm going to find out some more about this play and seek some peace in my heart regarding that time of my life and my parents life and my siblings lives. As the paper said, peole cae to watch the play as " they needed to unload this" .
Some other words of wisdom gleaned from the article.
Keith learned that people were more likely to support something that was community owned than an enterprise owned by n individual. He raised money for a new paper by selling shares to community members, many of his sales where considered simple donations for their community than an investment.
He understood what was good about rural life and he did what he could to protect it.
He was driven to maintain small papers and a rural voice in the face of a hostile world. ( remind me of the small Amish newsletter my dad subscribes to )
After 50 years he has stepped away from managing the magazine "The Rural Voice" , thinking I should check that one out, I do not currently get it.
City life did not appal to him, he missed being surrounded by nature.
A strong interest in farming and admiration for what farmers do.
www.northhuron.on.ca/rural-voice
www.northhuron.on.ca/subscriptions
The Field Behind The Plow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUM8mXJre1c&index=31&list=PLhhVyaUmOQuq-3ZjWsulDtaPt02fRFC0B
Stan Rogers – Field Behind The Plow Lyrics
Feel the trickle in your clothes, blow the dust cake from your nose
Hear the tractor's steady roar, Oh you can't stop now
There's a quarter section more or less to go
And it figures that the rain keeps it's own sweet time
You can watch it come for miles, but you guess you've got a while
So ease the throttle out a hair, every rod's a gain
And there's victory in every quarter mile
Poor old Kuzyk down the road
The heartache, hail and hoppers brought him down
He gave it up and went to town
And Emmett Pierce the other day
Took a heart attack and died at forty two
You could see it coming on 'cause he worked as hard as you
In an hour, maybe more, you'll be wet clear through
The air is cooler now, pull you hat brim further down
And watch the field behind the plow turn to straight dark rows
Put another season's promise in the ground
And if the harvest's any good
The money just might cover all the loans
You've mortgaged all you own
Buy the kids a winter coat
Take the wife back east for Christmas if you can
All summer she hangs on when you're so tied to the land
For the good times come and go, but at least there's rain
So this won't be barren ground when September rolls around
So watch the field behind the plow turn to straight dark rows
Put another season's promise in the ground
Watch the field behind the plow turn to straight dark rows
Put another season's promise in the ground
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