Tossing Glitter… Down A Country Road…

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy…

-Max Ehrmann

Photo by Amber Ball

To everyone who has read, shared and added their own voice there are simply no words to express what that means to me. Thank you. Your support for Farm Stories has filled me with gratitude. The next few months I’ll be working towards the release of my book which looks like will be early spring.

FARM STORY: Coming Out of Indiana

I grew up on a farm in a small Indiana town where church, family, and identity were the unchanging signposts of an acceptable life. Conventionality was more than just expected – it was the highest form of success. Art, music, and movies might have their place here and there, but boys were expected to be boys and excel at traditional masculine pursuits. Despite always feeling somehow different and apart from most of everyone else around me, I worked hard to be the perfect image of a son, brother, and friend. Reared in a household where perfection and faith were the two pillars of the family, I struggled to understand my own identity as well as the currents of unhappiness – and change – that were beginning to swirl around both me and the outside world. Finding my way out of the straightjacket of my past into a different kind of future was a long rock-covered road. My choices would hurt people I loved along the way, but I somehow knew that living my true life would be the only thing that would make it all worth it. And only if I had a loving and forgiving heart myself would I be able to find my way back to people I loved while stumbling forward into a happier future…