The Generational Harvest

Last night I was out at a local tapas bar in San Diego. A quaint place filled with history. Going on around me was a live flamenco show, guitarists, and great people celebrating Valentines Day. Love was in the air. With my love at home and being the shy person I am, I began speaking to an individual beside me. He began to tell me about his family’s farm. As it turns out he and his family own a vineyard and additional farmland down in the south of Mexico. We had a long discussion on the progression, care, and yield of his family vineyard.

It only occurred to me this morning that America is much like that vineyard and farmland I had learned about last night. When young, she and her vines are vulnerable and her harvest is not worth much at all. Yet the caregiver takes a great deal of effort to nurture her and make sure that as she ages her soil is good, the vines are manicured, and the harvest is still pulled.

I was told by the farmer that from years one to five, the harvest is weak and of no use. Though he made mention that they process the grapes just the same out of respect and test for future harvest. Years six to ten can be well used but are not of peak quality. For his variety the eleventh up until about the fiftieth year are prime for quality grapes needed for the perfect wine at his family vineyard.

During years eleven to fifty the family monitors the vineyard yield with extreme care, even more than that of any other time. In this case, each area of the vineyard is watched to see what vines are producing quality and which are not. Unfortunately and with regret and necessity some vines have outgrown their use and need to be retired.

I was told by the farmer that the pulling of the vine is a sad process to see and experience as this vine may have been one which your grandfather or father had honor to grow with great care -- and you the inheritor to have to end that life cycle. Devastation was on his face as he spoke to me. He explained that once a great vine, giving all it could, making the most beautiful grapes and wine to be pulled, roots and all, was even tougher than loosing a crop to a foul pest or frost. Torn from the soil it was nurtured from for all those years.

He did smile after a moment. I was curious why such a happy grin hit his face, so I asked him what was so happy after such as sad story of the vine that died. He explained to me that there are cuttings and plantings from all the different generations that get reborn into that same soil, and are nurtured and grown and passed down from generation to generation. From these cuttings the same great grapes, yielding, in time, the same beautiful wines for years to come. Now I got it. At times I am a bit slow.

Our government is much of the same. Here we have people who are groomed and go through the motions to go into congress or their respective post in government employ and stay there, forever and ever, and ever. Some go on to various committees and do work in specific areas and spread their bad overworked, unyielding skills and opinions with them.

As the farmers, We The People, sometimes, no matter how hard it may be, we must take that beautiful vine which gave so much and is yielding no more and tear it from the ground and retire it.