One of the rules that I live by: Life Must Balance
Which is when I've bragged a little, reality comes along to smack that haughtiness back where it belongs.
In a previous post I mentioned that sales were good, only a few days later to have my worst sales day --- ever.
Then a friend asked if my popcorn looked good this year, I started to say, "It looks really goo...." when I realized that I said too much.
Two days later, half was laying on the ground. Kaput. Flat, broken stalks that won't recover.
This is a bit of superstition that I really don't play into. It's just a reaction to the moment.
Because if I truly believed that G*d reacts this way when someone takes a little pride in their efforts, then I really should be dead from His vengeful wrath. Truly...
Iowa gets storms (remember the derechio a few years ago?) so why should my little operation miss out. Acres of oats were also laying flat on the ground just up the road from us. Another lost his sweetcorn to hail.
Weather --- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The best I can do is shrug.
We planted an additional plot this year which will soften the loss and hope I can come up with some additional income for next year because much of what I grow now is for next year's sales.
I show this pic, not to generate sympathy but to show how fragile our plans and efforts can be, although I'm sure there's someone out there enjoying the bit of schadenfreude at our expense. (I see you)
It's about how, in a single moment, all of one's work, or their lives, can be swept away. Just ask those in floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Some people lost much more than a few stalks of corn.
Plan, Prepare, Execute, Reevaluate, Adapt.
I'm in the Reevaluate stage right now and next year might still be a good year.
In the mean time, I'm keeping my mouth shut about this year --- just in case another shoe drops (again) and the wrath of the gods never run out of shoes.
