Considering their Achievements Post-Presidency, It Seems Every One of Them Wishes They'd Pursued Their #FARMLIFE Dreams Instead

On depressed presidents and if peace and contentment and satisfaction eluded them, what hope have you or I?

The other day while watching my boys crab-walk at gymnastics, my wife discovered that one of our friends also harbors a farm-life fantasy.

“You daydream about farming? So do I!” said both of them, in unison, hands clasping, smiling, planning, before they remembered that sharing a dream makes it no closer to real than watching videos on vertical hydroponics gets fresh strawberries in your yogurt and they moved on to talking about whether our daughter was listening to the coach or goofing off (because it’s almost impossible to tell from the bleachers when her class uses the foam block pit for falling practice in the back). My boys, though? Crab-walk champions.

But moving on from their shared farm fantasies was perhaps a bit premature. Because it’s a small world and we will both of us move away from where we live now and live elsewhere multiple times before retiring and who’s to say we will not find each other in the same co-op commune taking turns tilling the soil before it’s time to plant that season’s root vegetables? Me, I’m partial to beets. But also, they were right. It’s not going to happen.

My point is, all of us are demoralized at work and find ourselves wondering if we made a wrong call somewhere in the before.

However! My office plans events to boost morale. We got a popcorn machine and on Wednesdays, we sell bags for 30 cents. I wanted to offer inspirational quotes to go along with a bag. But when you’re beatdown, maybe you’re in no mood for something uplifting? Maybe you want to know you’re not the only one who has ever wondered if all the long hours and all the ‘do more with less’ is worth the missed nights at home with the kids when they’re still the age that all they want to do is climb on you and maybe there’s Sisyphus but he’s Ancient Greek and a cliche and isn’t there something a little more American to remind you that you’re not alone in your vocational despair?

Ahem. Ladies and gentleman, may I present these fabulous quotes from our past presidents?

And yes, of course, I also have a bowl of quotes encouraging KINDNESS, but the DESPAIR bowl gets the most grabs and gives the most laughs and that’s the goal, isn’t it?

You tell me! What inspires you to keep going when you’re questioning if anything at work even matters?

Meanwhile, while I can, I’m going to go gather up my kids and give them quick kisses all up and down their little crab faces.