Photography by Curtis and Norma Beaird
Article by Norma Beaird
Yesterday, we took a drive through the South Georgia countryside. It was apparent that the seasons are changing. We are always overjoyed when the Fall season rolls around. We experience cooler weather, the colorful red and gold leaves and the hay bales in the field next to an old wood shed.
The Fall season also brings about the migration of different birds to the area. Even birds that hang around this region, but do not come to visit during the summer, will come around to say hello during the change of season.
Living in a very rural area of Georgia gives us an opportunity to see relics of the past, such as old barns, sharecropper cabins and rustic wood sheds. Sometimes, you will see an old country cabin juxtaposed with a sign next to it advertising high-speed internet. Reminders of modern technology are never far away.
At times, as you're driving down a country road, you will see a cow pasture, and this pasture instantly takes your mind to a quiet and peaceful place, away from the stress and strain of a world gone mad. You begin to construct stories in your mind of a farmer and his wife and how they raised their family on land inherited from his father. You can almost smell the Sunday dinner cooking on the stove. You gaze at the green expanse of land and trees; and then, you begin to name the cows. The sweet cow in the picture below is named, "Elsie Mae"!
When you watch the evening news or read the daily reports of crime, violence, government shutdowns, layoffs, sadness and tragedy, driving past an old wood shed or cow pasture gives a much needed relief from all things frightening and worrisome. That's why we love to photograph simple country living.
Take a bale of hay, for example. It's not something you will see in a large metropolitan area. It didn't require a city council meeting or an election process, it required a piece of farm equipment and a farmer who is just doing what he has done for years.
And, the farmer is still here. He's still surviving and still feeding his family. For him, life is relatively simple. He may not have a condo on Miami Beach, but he's at peace with the simplicity of a life that many would empty their bank accounts for in a New York minute.
Therefore, the next time you have a golden opportunity to take a drive through the countryside, or marvel at an old wooden structure or roam through a pumpkin patch, take a moment to breathe and experience the subtle pleasures of simplicity.
Living in a society that considers folks as cash-flow units and not people, it is sometimes necessary to take a step back in time, not to wax nostalgic, but to understand that less is more and less is easier. Honestly, simplicity creates power, a power to control oneself from the excesses known as modern society.
Therefore, we embrace the simple country life, with the gnats, mosquitoes and colorful change of season. As we embrace simplicity and the tranquility that it has to offer, we sometimes discover ourselves in the most creative ways.
Proverbs 15: 16
Better is little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble therewith.
Copyright Curtis and Norma Beaird. All rights reserved.
