Shepherd

When I was a young man I visited my grandpa while on leave from the Navy.  He was in his 80's and long retired from the farm.  He moved to Kansas with his parents from Philadelphia.  Both parents were from Ireland and came to Kansas after a few years working for the Wanamaker family in Philadelphia.  Grandpa's father was a coachman and Grandpa's mother was an upstairs maid.  Grandpa was 6 years old when he drove the wagon the last few miles to their homestead.  Grandpa grew up in central Kansas, married, raised 11 children and buried two infants.  He and grandma lived through 2 world wars, a depression, the Korean War as well as every other thing that comes with trying to make a living on a small farm.  They made it as did almost everyone else of that era.  I don't recall grandma or grandpa or any of their children complain about their life.  They were dirt poor and rarely had more than enough, but that was what life presented them and they all seemed to accept it.  The children all grew to become responsibile adults with nice families of their own.  Grandma and grandpa finally moved from the farm and retired to a city nearby.  That is where they were living when I visited grandpa this particular day.  After the usual small talk and questions about health and the weather grandpa and I settled in our chairs to watch football.  After a while grandpa asked me what I planned to do after I got out of the Navy.  My four year hitch was nearly over and I had thought a little about my future plans but had not made any decisions.  So, that's what I told him.  "No plans as of yet, grandpa."  There was a long pause and then he said to me, "Have you thought about becoming a shepherd?"  I couldn't believe what I just heard.  " A what?" I asked.  Grandpa repeated himself, "A shepherd."  Another pause then he clarified his suggestion, "I often thought I would have liked to have been a shepherd."  A longer pause and then, "It would be just you and nature, no worries, no major responsibilities.  You could always feed yourself and not need a whole lot to live.  A cabin, some food, no money problems.  No one gets sick, no one goes hungry, no crop failures, no disappointments.  Get a good dog for company, come to town when you wanted to." 

I often thought I should have taken his advice.