Texas Ranch House II

I had the suprise of having the producer of Texas Ranch House stop by and read my blog.

I am sorry to say that it was not a more in depth commentary on my part.

Originally the show caused a great number of thoughts and questions to arise in my mind.

(Ask Zelda, I was captivated by the whole thing. Must be the Texan in me...)

Unfortunately, I didn't not get them down in print.

Mr. Barreto's visit has brought some of them back to mind.

The actions of some of the participants in the show demonstrates human nature.

The power of suggestion.

I have found my self caught up in narrow mindedness that begets more narrow mindedness till all I can see is the "obvious" out come that I decided upon in the first place.

A loss for words...how to verbalize my thoughts...

My last company was like this.

The folks in the show became more and more polarized as things happened.
Soon there was no way they could back down from their point of vue with out damaging their egos.

Or, maybe better said, their egos got in the way of what was best for everyone.

***
I would like to think that I could have done better, but I know that I, like Mr. Cook, don't have the skills.

I can think of some who would have made it work.
My current boss for one.

It's a way of thinking and being.
But he's had years to develop this way of life.

***
The other thought is the mix.

It is unfair to say the Canadian show was "better" than the US programs.

It was very different.
For one, it only included four people, no children, and was for a year.

These folks had to be committed.

The British shows involved a single family, (though Manor House did involve a larger group).

The American shows could be said to be more ambitious.

But I think it would be difficult to "get committed" to it when in the back of your mind, you know that in three months it will end, and the out come "really doesn't matter" to your future lively hood.

By example, Zelda is having trouble trying to keep working since she only has one week left.

Senioritis of sorts...

***
It made me angry with the Cook family, Mrs. Cook in particular, that they didn't succeed.
Though in the end, it was Mr. Cook who backed down on his word.

How many times do we pat our selves on the back for being cruel to others.

I cared about these people and felt sad that it turned out the way it did.

And like the Frontier House filmed in Montana (where I was born) it involved a California family that applied Modern 'How to look good thinking' to a nature model.

Nature has rules that simply can be broken.
Living in our insulated lives, we have forgotten them.

Steven Covey has a great example.

How many of us have crammed for an exam?
wait till the last moment, study all we can and hope to pass.

Now, remove "humanity" from the picture.
How successful would this be in a natural setting, ie. a farm.

It's the story of the ants and the grasshopper.

Goof off all summer, cram the planting in at the last moment and hope nature provides a bountiful harvest.

After all, Captain Kirk always saved the Universe in the last 10 minutes...