36 mice and catching fish to roasting corn and potatoes, making kites, lighting fires, swimming in dikes and streams, to more adventurous games like buffalo fighting or "going to raid villages" (stealing fruit from gardens), those memories weave together a healthy childhood (without the internet), worth living, because of how they shaped me to be the person I am today. As I grew older, I found it “hard to end" the sharing of stories while sitting down to reminisce with friends from childhood, or those similar in age. When I studied abroad, many people often asked, “What is your job background?” I would never answer that I hold a psychology degree (which I graduated from eight years ago). Nor would I mention philosophy (which I honed in at the Dominican College in Vietnam), or theology (which I am currently studying here in Australia). Instead, I would simply state, “I was a farmer.” When asked what kind of agriculture I did, I would reply that my family engages in various types of farming: growing rice, corn, potatoes, and vegetables, and raising livestock. People often think our farm is like a zoo. In reality, we engaged in small-scale farming, seasonal cultivation, and self-sufficiency - a common practice in many rural areas of Vietnam. This background has given me the experience of integrating and adapting to natural environments, caring for many types of animals and growing various plants, and I am richer for it. For farmers, life in river or mountain areas can somewhat shield them from the pollution, noise, and rush of urban life. However, while spending time, effort, and diligence to care for the farm, farmers also face the risk of losing everything when extreme natural disasters strike, such as storms, flash floods, and droughts. For example, Typhoon Yari recently claimed many lives, swept away many properties, and especially devastated most farmers’ farms and plantations. In years with good harvests, farmers must still contend with the pressure of low prices set by traders. This is not a complaint, but an understanding that agricultural products are not merely commodities for trade; they are gifts to be received. As Pope Francis emphasised in Laudato Si, agriculture is an essential contributor to the common good. In the other honest words of Eliot Coleman- a farmer, author, researcher, and educator: “Farmers are the ones who feed us all, and if we want a sustainable world, we need to support sustainable farming practices.” Awareness about the role of farmers, allows both producers and consumers to acknowledge the value in each other and the natural products. For me, my time living in Melbourne, Australia, has been spent on academics, prayer, and other community activities. Gardening, letting my hands get dirty with the soil (from which I was created and to which I will return), has been a source of sustenance for my meals and a form of relaxation as I immerse myself in nature.
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