Anyone who has ever seen Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "Oklahoma!" is familiar with the song, "The Farmer and the Cowman," a paean to the idea that those who choose to commit to a particular place can stay friendly with the nomads who flit in and out of their communities. Still, not everyone agrees with the song's theme that the two sides should be friends. Indeed, the switch from nomadic lifestyles to agricultural settlements has always been a contentious one, going back tens of thousands of years as societies on either side of the divide found themselves at war.
The modern equivalent to this tension can be found in the farmer and the trucker, two icons of our culture that represent different approaches to the ideal working life. The farmer is all about a sense of place and permanence. They make a long-term commitment to one spot and they improve and love and guard it, planning for generations. They have a very strong sense of tradition and they are rooted in their community. The trucker moves from place to place, often not seeing their family or home community for months at a time. They are a relatively new creation, being only a hundred years old, though they are the heir to the cattle drivers of days past. Each represents a different way of being that suits one type of person, but would be anathema to the other! Which of the two are you most like? Let's find out!
How do you feel about bad weather?
It is the bane of my life.
I dislike it.
I don't mind it.
There is no bad weather, only weather at the wrong time.
