I guess as a farmer one learns that quite often the best made plans don t go the way they were expected. This insight into life, that events and circumstance don t always go according to plan, is an insight we gain as we experience more and more of life. As we grow older, and as we each face our own disappointments, or pleasant surprises for that matter, we begin to understand that quite often on the road of life we end up taking routes we never expected. We learn that sometimes the change in plans is because of something we ve done, or someone else has done. Sometimes it just works out the way it does for no real apparent reason, or for reasons beyond our control.
Experience is a great teacher.
I m reminded of a story I ve heard about Reg a few times in the last week. It tells of Reg s encounter with a younger person who was helping him on his farm. When asked how things were going, Reg replied My experience and his education are beginning to clash. It s a funny anecdote, made funny by the truth that lays behind it. Ironically, experience is often the best form of education, and is made richer when combined with formal education.