The Sixth Day of Christmas: On Barns

I love the countryside.

Someday, I will have goats and a barn and such. I’m not entirely sure how to make that happen, but yesterday gave me hope. I am always inspired when I visit my father-in-law. He lives on such a pretty piece of property in Bedford, Co.

Today is the Sixth Day of Christmas. Geese are a’layin’. I have the beginnings of some kind of sinus trouble but there is coffee and snacks. Today, we will make our way back to Richmond. I go back to work on Tuesday. So, I’m clinging to the last couple of days of vacation to rest and recharge.

Yesterday, we were at my father-in-law’s house. His family owns a couple hundred acres of rolling countryside. We visited with Lanzo the donkey as well as Lucky the cow. My son was particularly excited to see the animals and feed treats to the donkey. He thrives in the open spaces with the animals and the mud. I like it as well. I also like the barns.

The old barn pictured above is a favorite of mine. So simple. So beautiful. There’s an old tobacco barn on the property that has completely collapsed from disuse and even that is beautiful to me. Aged wood, utility, simplicity. It’s a beautiful combination.

I struggle with agrarian dreams. It takes a lot of wealth to live simply. It takes a lot of wealth to run a small farm. It takes a lot of capital in today’s economic system to participate in “the simple life.” John V. Taylor offers:

When Jesus asked the rich young man to sell his goods and give to the poor, he did not say “Become destitute and friendless.” Rather, he said, “Come, follow me.” In other words, he invited him to join a community of sharing and love, where his security would not be based on individual property holdings, but on openness to the Spirit and on the loving care of new-found brothers and sisters.

Roberto Che Espinoza, PhD

is talking about alternative economics in their recent post. Mutual aid is the lens through which he imagines an economic present that challenges the capitalist status quo. I have been pondering Plenitude by Juliet B. Schor. She addresses the failures of late capitalism in the cultural west, the ecological crisis, and how communities might form. It is far from some utopian dream. It is an honest attempt to offer something different where Espinoza’s mutual aid might find a place.

So, back to having a farm. What kind of help would I need? Who would need to be involved? What am I waiting for? These are today’s Christmas questions. The Sixth Day is begging me to take such dreaming seriously and to wonder…what might be next?

Y’all be excellent to each other.