It’s the question I get most often in my life, right after, “Mom, are my boots on the right feet?”
“What do you do?”
On the surface, it’s a pretty simple question. After all, it’s a fairly basic get-to-know-someone inquiry.
For someone like me, however, it’s a bit more complicated. You see, I’m one of those people who read in to everything. What’s the person looking for? What do they want to know? What’s going to resonate most with them? How much do I share? These questions and more float quickly through my brain, before I throw out a surface-deep answer. Usually, I respond something like, “Greg farms full-time, and I stay at home with our little ones.”
While that’s entirely true, and in of itself is quite enough most days, there’s more. Typically, I refrain from sharing the other bits and pieces, because while I can juggle the tasks before me, I know not everyone is wired the same way. I’m wired to have 13 different things on my plate; each takes up their own space, but at the end of the day, I love how they mesh and mold together.
If I were to tell the full story, I’d tell about four pieces of my life outside of farm wife and mom to two spectacular boys. I’d tell about the businesses and organizations listed here. I’d tell about how I love the life Greg and I are creating. I would tell about how I do get overwhelmed some days, but how I also love the complexity and variety each of these things bring. I’d tell about how there’s no industry quite like American agriculture. I’d tell about how for our life, each of these pieces fits together perfectly in one big picture puzzle.
I’d talk for seemingly hours about the things I’m passionate about. And, then, I’d simply say, “Tell me what sets your heart on fire.”
Rose Hartschuh 