I stepped out of my apartment in the city this morning for my training session and it felt as if a switch had been flipped and everyone was back in the concrete jungle. Home from overpriced vacations where folks in rural and coastal towns are breathing a sigh of relief and counting the profits and losses brought about by the necessary evil and frustration of the “ Joburg Dollar”. Everywhere the “ new year, new me ” crowd was huffing and puffing in the streets and it seemed that perhaps manners and consideration got left behind along the way. One thing is for certain, the assholes are definitely back. You don't miss much while running in the city and everywhere people were running red lights and stop streets, I almost got run over by a suntanned soccer mom in a shiny SUV at a pedestrian crossing and suddenly I could feel that old familiar chokehold of the city gripping me like an iron hand around my neck. I turned off the road and ran along the trail provided by the dairy farm a few miles down the road. The dairy farm is now completely surrounded by warehouses, apartment block developments and shopping malls. The family has surely benefitted from selling the prime property to big companies but somehow the dairy, a few cornfields and the homestead managed to survive the unstoppable urban sprawl. For years this little piece of agricultural land and occasional run-ins with the dairy cows were my temporary escape from the nagging frustration of the city. The only reason why I am still living here is because of my occupation. As an Air Traffic Controller practicing the discipline of Area/ En-Route controlling I have two options…Johannesburg and Cape Town. Nobody is giving up spots in the fairest Cape of Good Hope so it has been Johannesburg for the last seventeen years. I have met some of my best friends here and I love my job. I am not blind to the convenience of having world class amenities, entertainment and some of the best culinary establishments at my fingertips but I have been feeling pretty worn out by the materialism, endless rush and some selfish individuals that call this place home. I stopped on a ridge along the trail and stared out over the city. A smile came to my face….Pretty soon I will be gone. Hopefully be done with this city for good.
I had the good fortune of being off from work both Christmas and New Years, working only a few days in between. For years I offered to work these holidays to allow my colleagues to spend it with their families and so it came as a pleasant surprise when I was able to go to the farm for both holidays and the days leading up to them. For the first time in many years I could be there to celebrate my moms birthday on the first of January. I had some good friends visit me and I got a lot done with herd of cows. Summer vaccinations, tagging, branding and sorting to kick off the new year. The rains came late this season but it seems like the worst of the drought is now behind us. The cows are recovering and the calves are fat and healthy in the new, lush green pastures. I stood outside every evening staring at the magnificent sunsets and got drunk on bourbon sitting in my camping chair, guitar in hand, under a sky filled with billions of stars. I am working hard to get back to the farm and for a few years I will be working abroad like some sort of aviation mercenary to save money, mechanize the farm and getting off the grid in order to be free from the corrupt, unreliable power utility that just takes massive chunks of money without delivering any services. There has been a lot of hard work to get the farm, and everyone on it, independent from the government, big agriculture and big pharma. We slaughter our own animals, keep chickens for meat and eggs, hunt to fill the freezer in winter and grow our own vegetables. This process is rewarding, healthy and great to forge those important family bonds. We are all in this together and we are teaching my nephews how to be self sufficient, responsible custodians of the land and farm that has been in the Barnard family for 129 years. To get off the grid and setting the place up to be autonomous requires some capital investment and careful planning but the job overseas will shrink the timeline significantly. It is taking massive sacrifice from the whole family and hard, persistent work and drive but I am blessed with family and employees that share my vision for the farm and for them. We are working towards being our own first responders, our own providers and we all know that no one is coming to save us from anything. We take care of our own through hard work, respect and responsible decisions. It is going to take time but we are on a steady, upward trajectory. I am positive about the future.
All this farm work, planning, admin and managing routine and non-routine challenges all while still doing my day job has taken its toll on my creative process. I get home most days too exhausted to even pick up the guitar. I decided the keep my book close for the occasional flash of a possible song ideas and to be open to an unplanned streak of inspiration. I do however, from time to time, sit down and go through my repertoire at home. I also play some of my old cover songs and I am in the process of learning some brand new songs by some of my favorite songwriters. I'm just keeping the creative part ticking over and I still invite the Muse into my home and heart every morning. Perhaps she will visit me soon and bless me with a song or a memory of a story that I can put to a melody.
Soon I will have to say goodbye to some places and people. Goodbyes often hurt like hell but the adventure that awaits more often than not makes it bearable. It also provides a well of inspiration and it is my hope to be on a stage somewhere soon sharing my songs and stories. My wish for you is a prosperous 2024 filled with love, adventure and good health. I will see you soon.
JB