The trip: Part 2

 
Meet Simon. Simon is the father-in-law of Tom’s friend. He grows fields of sweet potatoes, and is also a dear, sweet man. So I guess that makes “Simon, The Sweet Potato Farmer” a title that can be interpreted two ways. Once again, here’s Tom.

 
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Simon, The Sweet Potato Farmer by Tom

 
What a gentleman, and what a gentle man. Looking at his face, you can see the wear of time. But with none of the hardness that we're used to seeing. You can see that Simon is a contented man. He and his wife have been married 45 years. She, always taking of the home and the children, and he, cultivating several different plots of land, growing sweet potatoes, water melons, cassava, plantains and pigeon peas.

 
They hardly ever eat food that has been processed in a factory. He cultivates, weeds, waters, fertilizes, harvests and sells his produce in the open market. Neighbors and family members always get a little something from the harvest. This is the way! When did we lose these neighborly qualities?

 
What surprises me is that Simon is healthier than many in his age bracket. He has never worked in an office environment. As for me, after 32 years in an office with a high stress career, I often feel like I am much older than Simon, although he is 25 years my senior. There’s something to be said about physical work. After all, weren’t Adam and Even given the assignment to cultivate the land?

 
And speaking of cultivating land, wait until I show you photos of the produce available here. Bright-colored Scotch bonnets, trees laden with mangoes, watermelon with a deep red color and bursting with flavor …

 
There is such an abundance here. It makes me laugh to think about our recent gardening project where we kept fighting a losing battle against insects, squirrels, groundhogs, birds, and the fickle weather.

 
So that’s it for now. I just wanted to tell you a little bit about Simon, and how nice it would be to just get back to the simple life. Spending time here, I feel removed from the hustle and bustle of life in New Jersey. It really is something to think about. Because, 25 years from now, I’d like to look this content.