Life Lessons From Farm Town

My husband can’t understand why I am drawn to Farm Town on Facebook. Much like I don’t get the attraction to X-Box, and those kind of games. I haven’t been playing all that long, and I’m sure I still have a lot to learn. However, there is something both relaxing and exciting about the game. I suppose with today’s economy, part of the allure comes from making money, even if it is pretend.

Since I have been playing Farm Town, I have noticed some things about the game that parallel real life, and wanted to take the time to jot them down, as we can all use some gentle reminders from time to time.

1.) Get out of your own way.

This may sound obvious, but playing on Farm Town proves this isn’t always easy to accomplish. It would seem that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Unfortunately, life seldom gives us a straight path to travel. Sometimes you end up going waaaaaay out of your way with seemingly little control, which can be extremely frustrating. Many times we have to get out of our own way, even if it is inconvenient and takes a bit longer, in order to reap what we have sown, till new ground or plant new seeds.

2.) In the end, patience is truly a virtue.

Sometimes we want things from other people RIGHT NOW! The problem is, sometimes they just don’t have it to give to you. Sometimes people mean well, and plant crops (or relationships), only to let them go to waste, or maybe they’re simply not ready yet. This is a reminder that like crops, life happens at its own pace. Be patient. That’s not to say you need to stand around a potato field (or a person) that has gone to waste, when there’s no visible effort on their part to make improvements. By all means, let your energy flow patiently in a new direction. This also reminds me of a favorite quote. I’m sorry to say I’m not sure who attribute it to, but it goes something like this…”Nature hurries not, yet everything is accomplished.”

3.) Nice matters!

This can be especially hard on days when other people may not have been very nice to us. However, even on your darkest day, there is almost certainly someone worse off than you. Take the time to say hello to someone, ask them about their day, hold the door, or offer help to someone struggling. It only takes a minute or two, and I promise you will feel better after you perform some random kindness.

4.) We’re all in this together.

Whether we have a large group of friends and acquaintances, or just a few people we interact with, we are all connected somewhere along the way. Therefore, it behooves us to get along and work together. What’s good for your neighbor, is good for you.

5.) There will be glitches.

No matter how hard we may try to do everything just right, there will be times when things don’t go according to plan. In Farm Town, you might be just getting started on some really sweet harvesting gig, only to get kicked off the mainframe. Admit it, you get a little angry when this happens, right? You find yourself asking “What did I do to deserve this?! How come I got kicked off while that snarky, Suzie HoeDown, was still smiling in the midst of the virtual pumpkin patch racking up coins?” You know what you did wrong? Absolutely nothing. You have no control over some things, and yet the ones we do have control over like our weight, our angry outbursts and the like, we don’t seem to give a darn about most days. The best course of action is to take a deep breath, plot an alternate course and don’t give up. You know that old, horribly non-PC saying, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat?” (Yes, I agree it’s gross and not condoned in any way by me.) Well, it’s true of everything. There is always more than one way to accomplish what you set out to do. Never, never give up.

6.) Lend a hand when you can, and ask for help when you need it.

Everyone needs a little help from time to time. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who has trouble with the latter. I could be up to my neck in quick sand, and if the National Guard showed up and asked if I needed help, my first instinct would be to reply, “Nah, I’m fine. You go on. I’m sure you have something more important to do.” I have a raging case of what every parent knows as “ME-DO Syndrome.” I often hesitate to admit I need help, and seldom ask for it until it’s very nearly too late…even when I find myself struggling or even failing miserably. I am always more than ready to lend a hand, but have an extremely hard time accepting one. Farm Town sets an excellent example by showing us that when we let others help us, it really benefits both parties in the end.

7.) Finish what you start…it’s a green thing.

A potato field is a terrible thing to let go to waste. So many of us only half finish things. (Just ask my husband how many unfinished projects I have scattered around.) So often we invest our time and energy to start something, only to stop part way through and leave it unfinished. Whether it is that afghan you started crocheting, that piece of furniture you began to refinish, the guest room you’d like to reclaim from storeroom status, or a Farm Town potato field, wasted personal energy and resources breed the belief that if we can’t accomplish these things, what chance do we have when it’s something really important. That is simply stinkin’ thinkin’ and has no place in our lives. Go green with yourself! You’ll be glad you did.