Directions

Throughout the years the way directions are given have changed drastically. In today’s world you can just simply type something in your phone and with the touch of a button you have an instant map that can get you to your destination, talking you through which way to go each step of the way. However the key detail you need for this all to work is an address. That is one thing farmers do not usually ever have for other than their home farms. Farmers have different ways of explaining to you where their fields are and how to get there.

If the farmer has a lot of time to explain it to you about where to go they will draw you an awesome very detailed map. Now this type of map is never usually done with pen on paper. If in a field they will use the dusty top of the seeder or whatever equipment they are using. That is great and all, but if you want to double check your directions to see if you are on the right path you soon come to realize that your map is already bouncing across the field that you already left. If at a kitchen table they will use everything on the table as props to make their map. That salt shaker will become a specific bin or silo where you turn at and that napkin will play as someone’s house, and that butter knife is a fence. Another map farmers like to make to show you directions is to draw one in the dirt while standing in the field. This is also a great map used regularly, but you can not take it with you. Another thing farmers will do if they are in a hurry is just tell you the town and the color of the shed it is by. This can lead to many problems. At the time they said that they probably did not think about how many people have red sheds on that gravel road. Last but not the least and sometimes the hardest directions to follow come from the grandparents or the older generation. After talking to them you usually have to call someone else for more specific up to date directions before you end up lost because they like to tell you directions by using old farm names. What they do not realize is that the people that used to live there or own that ground have been gone for a long time. My 17 year old self has no idea who they even are talking about because I have never heard of that last name in a conversation before, let alone in directions. The next thing they like to use and what most farmers use as well, which is north, south, east, and west while giving those directions. Those are the most dreaded words to hear if I need directions. I am more of a turn right and turn left kind of girl.

I am getting better! So far this spring I have not gotten completely lost yet or showed up in a whole different field. I hope you all have a great week and that you all find and reach your destinations perfectly. - Kesley Holdgrafer