Em Nau Farm BLOG

Living the Dash

I was reading over past blogs and after finishing I thought “I don’t remember seeing anything about the Dash”.  So forgive me if I have previous told mentioned the Dash on this blog site but to me it sums up my view on life.

I once read a story about a person who found a headstone that read “I lived the dash”.  You see most headstones do not tell you about the person, they tell you when they were born, when they died with a small dash to sum up their life.  This story had an effect on me and through its message I decided I want to get the most out of my dash that I can.

I have long believed that if I go to sleep each night, the same person I was when I awoke that morning, if I haven’t learnt something then the day has sort of been a waste.  If you don’t learn and grow you die.

Every day we are faced with different opportunities, our decision is whether we grasp them or let them pass.  We should recognise, acknowledge and grasp opportunities which enable us to grow, and with it change. Some of these opportunities present themselves to us, others we have to seek out. Some we welcome with open arms, others we could well do without.

This is what led Heather and me to purchasing Em Nau Farm back in November 2011 and moving here in February 2012.  The opportunities that have been presented to us in the two and a bit years we have been here have been profound.  

Heather is from a farming background of sorts and she had a little more experience on the land than I did.  I was born and breed on the Central Coast of NSW and spent most of my time either playing sport or at the beach catching a wave. 

If you had asked either of us back before I had been diagnosed with cancer (for more info see http://brettscancerjourney.yolasite.com/)  if we would ever be living  on acreage and commuting into town for work we would have probably told you No, but with the caveat that it maybe something we would do after retirement.  The early part of 2009 changed all this as both Heather’s and my view on life changed.

I am a firm believer in the live the dash philosophy in so much as you need enjoy your limited time on earth.  As a famous person once told me “You’re a long time dead” and this goes hand in hand with the Dash.  When they stand up to talk at your funeral what will they say about you or what will they put on your tombstone?  Will they say “He/she had a dirty house, will they say he/she was annoying, funny, always grumpy .............. No they will say nice things at your funeral and on your tombstone will be the dash to sum up your time on earth.  Those who don’t know you will never find out about you by that dash.  You need to live life for yourself (and those around you) and enjoy as much as you can.

It dawns on me that this is why people who have limited time to live, for whatever reason, write bucket lists or promise themselves to enjoy the most of the time they have left.  Why wait until close to the end - LIVE THE DASH now.

This is the reason we made the decision to buy EM NAU Farm.  We have had good and bad experience, animals being born, animals dying, building shed, having rooves blown off sheds, mild drought, flooding rains, healthy animals that are a joy to play with, sick animals that need to be nursed, learning new skills and sitting watching the sunset/sunrise listening to the grass grow.