Dignity not only speaks to valuing and respecting people in their own space and place but also mirrors how we value ourselves. It is that fine thread woven into our actions that says ‘I can carry myself because I know your worth and I know mine.”
Dignity, as a value, is often missing from programs and processes, systems and solutions and replaced by labels and an expectation that those in crisis step forward, fully exposing their vulnerable selves.
In the Australian play entitled “Kick Off Ya Boots” the actors and characters are farmers, talking about the farm with love and humor while finding their own path within their own fence lines. One deeply moving scene starts with farmer Harry saying:
“Sometimes it’s like I’m driving a truckload of cattle down a road. And behind me all I can hear is all of them bellowing telling me to go different directions. And some of them are yelling lies, or abusing me, or saying what an idiot I am. And the more I hear it, the more I stew on it and the more I believe it”
His reflection is followed by a beautiful parody of “Let it Be” in which Harry confesses the constant battle he feels he is in – just to live a happy life. He speaks of his feelings of failure and the taunting of his thoughts that are churning up worries about what people say about him. https://www.facebook.com/ifarmwell/videos/364859373353602
Harry is reassured by a new friend Vicki who is listening without offering solutions. She is – however – encouraging him to consider that spiteful words and even our negative thoughts are like bullies, and that while we need to honor our feelings and hear the words, it is quite ok to walk away from them and let them be.
I was deeply moved by this particular scene in the middle of an uplifting rural production that touched on succession, physical and mental health, faith, family, finances, well-being, balance, gender roles, communication and community with both grace and a lot of humor. These are common challenges that we can connect with – for every family lives with the trials of communication, balance and overall health. Farming families often also reside on the same property and the children may stare succession in the face every day – waiting and longing for the future to start. The stresses can be complex.
As I reflected on these complexities and of the lives portrayed in this production, I considered that perhaps in our approach to the issues on the farm, we have taken the linear road of expectation. We expect a meeting with results, a doctor to heal, our spouse to understand. We expect our parents to stay together and the love we once knew to always be there. We expect that we can experience change without support and likely most damaging, is that we expect conflict and accept it as a norm. How then can we allow for those experiencing pain to express themselves in their own place and space with dignity?
The arts offer a pathway to situation acknowledgement that is personal and preserves that individual dignity. A poem, play or painting will have diverse meanings to different people. Each person takes away from the art form what it is that they feel, what it is that they see, what it is that they need. It is a quiet experience and without shame creating a pathway for each individual to process their feelings in private while surrounded by community all of whom truly desire to celebrate the farming life.
Most farmers in the first world chose agriculture as their life’s work and the farm as the place to raise a family and build community. Playwright, Nuffield Scholar and farmer John Gladigau explains: “Mental health is one of the biggest issues in Australian rural communities, yet most initiatives created to address the challenge are created and driven outside our local community rather than from grassroots. Whilst well-intentioned, many initiatives encourage individuals to come forward and accept they are struggling. However, for most, both pride and self denial results in a low uptake. ‘Kick Off Ya Boots’ is a reference to both the community coming together for enjoyment, but also taking a step away from the daily grind and sharing with others in a caring supportive atmosphere.”
As the scene with Harry closes, he comes to acknowledge on his own that worry and misery would not be of help to him and he finds the acceptance and courage to hear the words and then set them free. If we want to normalize this kind of conversation so that folks can reach their greatest potential and see the beauty in the life they chose, we have to preserve the dignity of each person in the process. The arts are a pathway to achieve this.
And while agriculture has traditionally not engaged in the arts as an avenue to create beautiful messaging that bring hope and joy – like the inspiration found and felt in Kick Off Ya Boots ( http://fb.watch/wu2Q3uduPr/ ), creative communities such as Little Town Productions from Loxton, South Australia are championing the preservation of dignity and self worth for those who live and love the farming life.
Brenda Lee Schoepp Copyright 2025