Becoming a grape farmer

For the past year, I’ve been restoring the neglected grape arbor in my backyard. Along the way, I learned a few lessons:

1️⃣💡 Avoid suffering from “not invented here”. I didn’t build this structure 40 years ago. I probably would have done it differently if I did. Heck, who am I kidding? I wouldn’t have done it at all, I’ve never wanted to grow grapes. Not long ago, I had a mindset that would have made me rip it all down and start over, just because it wasn’t mine. Boy, isn’t that childish in hindsight? Instead, I embraced the history, made repairs as needed and using modern materials. Knowing I’m allowing something to continue for another 40 years ended up being more rewarding than owning the original. After all, everything is a remix.

2️⃣🍋 “When life hands you lemons…” (or in this case grapes) roll with it. I never fancied myself a grape farmer, but if that’s what I’ve been given, that’s what I’ll become. Call it destiny or fate, the universe has decided these two paths, me and the arbor, should meet.

3️⃣🛑 Slow down! Hobbies are meant to be enjoyed. This is not a race. And it’s OK to make progress little by little. Somedays, I couldn’t even see a change. But by being consistent over a long period of time, the transformation becomes visible. This project started as an idea in April 2019, work began in August, and enchantments will likely be made well into the future.

This article, “Becoming a grape farmer”, was inspired by a post that first appeared on Instagram.