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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

An 11 Year Old Speaks Out

I don't like raising so early in the morning. I throw fits, yell at my mother, make her life harder than it already is. I really don't mean to be a brat, well, maybe I do, but I just don't like this lifestyle. Why should I have to pick up poop, or milk a cow? Milking s stupid, you can just go to the store and buy it already out of a cow. My mother says it is better for us to know where our milk and other food comes from.

My friends make fun of me. They say nasty things about me and the cows. They don't like that we kill our birds and goats. Why should we when we can go to the store and buy the meat without knowing the animal or seeing it killed. It bothers them that we kill things here. One boy got onto my mom about killing animals. She asked him what he had in his fridge. He shrugged. Mom asked if he had chicken nuggets, he said yes. Mom asked if he had meat on his pizza, he said yes. Mom asked if he had hamburger in his fridge, he said yes. Mom said that we did too, but that we knew where it came from, and that it was healthier that way. My friend said he could see it being healthier, but it was still wrong to kill animals. My mom smiled at him, and said, if that was true, than it would be wrong for you to have meat in your fridge. He decided he wanted to play a game.

Some boys told me that I was lieing about having bee hives. They said we where too poor to own them. He was stupid, saying that bees cost $75 a bee.

A lot of people think I am lying about what we have and what we do. It isn't until they come to our house and see that they sort of believe me. It hurts to be called a liar all the time. Now I try not to talk about it. Mom says that it is ok not to tell people. That not everyone thinks they way her and dad does. I don't think I think the same way they do. I want to play video games, and watch more tv. I want electronics for Christmas, not these old fashion toys. Mom says that there is a reason we do the things we do. For a while I would brag at school that we were green, the teachers that talked about being green would smile at me, but would disagree. My mom also disagrees, she says we are salt, that we are selfish.

Lately some of those mean kids mom's have been coming over to buy things from my mother. I still don't say anything to those kids about how we live or that I see their mom's. When I get to move out, I am moving to Japan. I am learning to speak Japanese. I want to be an anime artist, and my mom says that is wonderful. Her and dad get me books on drawing and speaking Japanese. They told me that if I keep my grades up that they will see about signing me up for the foreign exchange program. I really want to go.

But for now I have to homestead. With my family. I like having the animals, I don't like the work, or the looks I get from people. I'd rather go to the mall and eat at McDonald's. But their food makes me sick. I was told it was because I wasn't use to eating that kind of stuff, but it is soooo good.

I don't like smelling like the animals all the time. I don't like not having stuff that I want. But I do like it when some of my friends come over and we get to lay outside at night, looking at the stars. You can see them better here. I like it when my friends want to help me with my chores, even if my mom says I don't have to do them that day because I have company. We will do them, and my friends make them funner.

Some things are good here, a lot of things are bad. When I grow up, I want a horse, some chickens and a small cow. But I am going to hire someone to clean up all that poop.

14 comments:

Tim Appleton (Applehead) said...

I think Kellen, My 10 year old has the same outlook as well. Keep your chin up, the world can be stupid. Ignorant may be the better word. It is good to hear from different views of the family.

SkippyMom said...

I am sure your Mom has told you all kids will find something different to pick on. That is what those ignorant kids are doing.

It is nice you have friends that like to come visit, help and then enjoy all the neat things you get to experience and they don't.

The others that are just mean? They are jealous....believe me.

Hang in there kiddo! It gets better :D

Anonymous said...

When I was your age I went though many of the same things you are now. Kids used to tease me and say that I smelled because of the animals. I kept very quiet all the time. I didn't want to be different. But I always was.

I was always the chief poop scooper too, and I HATED it. When I was young I dreamed of moving to big city, Chicago in particular, where I wanted to be a psychologist.

My life, as it turns out has come full circle and I have chosen to live a life similar to that of your parents and I have chosen to raise my children similar to the way I was raised. Can you believe that?! But, the point here is that I chose this. I went out, I tried different things, but in the end I came back to my roots and I am happy for it.

I don't doubt you will excel at anime (we are big fans in this family btw) and it's great that your family is so supportive of your interests. I also bet growing up different than the others, living you life as you do, you will have much success at it and have a very unique perspective to draw from. Good luck kiddo! I look forward to saying "I think I know that name!!" someday.

Anonymous said...

Hip hip hooray for your Mom. McDonalds makes me sick, too!

Anonymous said...

Don't worry about what people say. They often talk just to hear their own voices. They criticize what they do not understand or are afraid of! *hugs* It gets so much better. Be proud, quiet about it if you need/want to and look at them as if they have grown an extra arm when they start to rant. =)

Anonymous said...

Send me a postcard from Japan when you get there.

Gail said...

This is such a wonderful powerful post. All the things you are doing/learning now are wonderful. Do not let anyone tell you differently. Kids pick when they do not understand and sometimes when they are jealous.
It is wonderful that you have friends that do come and love the things you do. Those are your true friends.
My momma always told me, let it roll off, like water off a duck's back. And she also told me when they were talking about me, it was giving some one else a rest.
You are a good man, Charlie Brown!

white_lilly said...

Good on you Buddy you are way ahead of your friends. Love your art work!

Michelle said...

Three cheers for honesty and self-awareness, pal. The mean kids are either jealous, as SkippyMom said, or they're so unimaginative that they can't wrap their pea brains around the idea that anything other than their idea of Normal being good, useful, or beneficial.

Meanwhile, while you're ignoring the vacuum headed little twerps, focus on your dreams, and keep on with your really great art!

Anonymous said...

I was there once. I remember feeling exactly the way you do. The worst was the time they me have a sleepover and my Dad fed my friends "bunny burgers" which we had raised and butchered ourselves. My Dad actually made one girl cry telling her about it. I think my parents actually received a few outraged calls over that one. I also remember pulling weeds in the garden until my fingers hurt and harvesting feed corn by hand one very cold autumn. I swore I would NEVER have a garden when I grew up and now that is all I want to do. So you may change your mind or you may not. For the longest time none of my siblings had gardens but slowly they are turning back to the land. Whatever you do when you grow up, I am sure you are learning some lessons now that you can take with you.

Irma said...

That was absolutely beautiful and pognant. Thanks for sharing.

Phelan said...

alrescate, are you getting my emails?

April said...

It's strange that his classmates make fun of him for doing things that used to be part of everyday living. Are there no other farm/ranch kids in his class????

One of my daughters friends thinks we are weird for hanging out our laundry.

I think your young man is going to appreciate his knowledge so much when he strikes out on his own.

Anonymous said...

Some day those mean kids will look back and wish they didn't do those things.

When I was young I was laughed at because my clothes sometimes smelled like wood smoke and my sandwiches were on homemade bread.

Just recently I ran into one of those mean kids some 30 years later, guess how, that mean kid now grown and raising her own family was buying bread from me and very happy to get it.

Your not alone everyone at some point wishes their life was different or better.

Hang in there

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