Memories
of farm life are many; some are intensely pleasurable and others are simply
unpleasant. Making applebutter in a caldron
outside on a brisk fall day: that qualifies as pleasurable. Anything to do with hog management qualifies
as unpleasant.
One
such unpleasant event was “driving hogs”, or herding the hogs into a confined
area where they would be sorted by weight.
The hogs weighing 200+ lbs. were sent to market; the others were
reprieved for a while.
To
herd the hogs meant that all seven of our family would start at the far end of
the feed lot where the hogs grazed. We
were spaced evenly across in a line and waved our arms (usually holding long
sticks) while calling “sooooooWEEE”.**
Hogs
were fairly docile at the beginning, but as they reached the other end of the feed
lot where they had to move to the only opening left to them, some of the hogs
got suspicious.
It was
usually a big burly hog with a nasty disposition. He was the leader, and the other hogs
followed him. Blindly so.
This
was the dicey part of herding. Push too
much, and the hogs bolt. Stand back too
far, and they bolt. But, regardless,
whatever that lead hog did, the others did as well.**
Please forgive the way my brain works, but this
segues into my thoughts for this Monday:
The Herd Mentality.
In the
February 2012 Smithsonian magazine, writer Ron Rosenbaum penned a thought-provoking article adapted from his
introduction for the new edition of The
Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer. Published initially in 1960, Shirer’s book “…recalls
an important point in historical consciousness…”
Shirer
examined how Hitler and the ‘perfect storm’ of many factors managed to seduce
an intelligent nation of Germans and lead them to do and behave in abhorrent crimes.
There
is no way to summarize Rosenbaum’s article. Here is a closing quote from his article:
“…There is danger in giving up our
sense of self-hood for the illusory unity of a frenzied mass movement, of
devolving from human to herd for some homicidal abstraction. It is a problem we can never be reminded of
enough, and this this we will always owe William Shirer a debt of gratitude…”
Have you ever sensed being part
of a herd? Do we retain our “self-hood”
in this age of digital awareness? With the bombardment of advertisements, do
you find yourself being prepped to purchase something, or behave a certain
way? Man. These are really profound thoughts for a
Monday.
Note: This post in no way advertises this book or advocates these writers. The impressions and conclusions gained from reading this Smithsonian article struck me as timely and important.
**There will be a future post
or two about the herding hogs experiences, as some of them were traumatizing
and others amusing. SooooWeee
is a recognized hog call in the Midwest.
If the connections seem insensitive or rude, please forgive me. Sometimes, especially when standing in a long long line that winds across and back with posts and black straps, I feel that I am being "herded". This perspective comes from farm life and going to DisneyLand.
