Strawberry Generation

 

As mentioned in the previous post, one of my job scope included opening and closing the tarps that shielded the strawberries from the elements. There are 2 different types of lanes in the farm - the regular ones where the iron pickets holding the shelter come up to waist level, and the tractor lane, where the shelter is right above the strawberry plants and the iron pickets are equally low. These are lanes on which the tractor have the clearance to drive across to spray fertilisers or for whatever other reasons. Every 5 regular lane is a tractor lane. The first gif above shows me pulling open the tarp for the tractor lane while the second one shows the regular lane, the method to open and close the tarps are different and frankly, I much prefer working with the regular lane tarps.

I thought it to be funny that a member of the strawberry generation (me) would be working in a strawberry farm. After slightly more than a week here and killing myself physically, I find it quite ironic really. Quoting the words of a friend, "the strawberry generation would never survive this". The reason why we open and close the tarps daily is of course to ensure that the fruits don't bruise and rot, while exposed to the elements - strawberries being mightily susceptible to bruising/ injury even with the slightest change of elements. The fact that they are so vulnerable to changes to its environment, the inability to fend for itself 'out in the wild', has been used to describe my generation, the Millenials, not being able to withstand pressures, societal or otherwise, not willing to work hard like the generations before us, hence the strawberry generation.

All of the workers here are older than me, much older in fact. Some of the Vietnamnese pickers, well into their 60s, and yet they go down the lane like 20 year old air stewardess advancing down the aisle with their pushcarts, quick and efficient (and graceful to an extent). When I asked one of them why they are still working at their age, she gave me a wry smile and revealed - Money (her exact words were, "no work, no money"). It made me wonder if I could do something like that, or even willing to do something like that at their age. Even at my age, I don't think I can last more than a month or so. Side note, I do wish my body is still capable of doing this kind of physical work at that age, not willing but hopefully still capable. 

Are we truly a strawberry generation where were are unable to take hardships? Or is it that we are simply unwilling to take hardships? Incidentally, one of the reasons why I decided I needed to come for this sabbatical and physically exhaust myself at a strawberry farm is because I felt I needed to take a break off  mental exhaustion. Would this be seen as an example of the inability to deal with pressure or hardship? If I had gone for this sabbatical without working at all, simply spending money and living as I would like, would it have been more synonymous with who I am tagged as. I think as a generation, we have never been more educated (paper qualification wise). As a generation we have never been brought up in a more mechanised and industrialised world. As a generation, we have never had more options. And as a world, we have moved from a capital (labour, effort) based economy to a skills/ information based economy. While I wouldn't say many or any of my peers would do what I am doing - looking at it purely from a 'Would you get on your knees 7 hours a day to work in a strawberry farm?' rather than a ' Would you like a break away from work and be a farmer for a while?'. I would say this is not due to the inability to do so but rather having the option to do something else. I would think it is more of an evaluation of priorities, of what we value - if that makes any sense. Every decision is a cost-benefit analysis, a trade-off. I think as a generation, we have perhaps had the benefit (and the privilege) to come to a conclusion that we can look beyond our physiological needs, OR sacrifice some level of physiological needs (because we have attained a minimum level of it) to reach for psychological or even self-fulfilment needs (as in my current example).

In other news, Abby had the unfortunate experience of being struck by a tiny stone (the size of a freaking bead) on her face which has left her with a long-ass scar along the passenger side windscreen. I contemplated leaving it alone but the scar keeps getting longer each day. After asking around, we need to replace the whole damn thing and it is going to cost me my 1st week wage. Considering how many hours I need to kneel through the strawberry lanes to make that money takes it to a whole new level of heart-pain. But what has to be done, has to be done - and so I will continue with my kneeling tomorrow morning.