Steep Your Soul: Meet Chris

https://m.blog.naver.com/soohasu/221339370164

Intro: Here’s the latest original short from filmmaker John Chester over at Apricot Lane Farms.

Narrator: Everyone knows that farming requires hard physical labor, especially in the summer. Fortunately, we get a lot of friends who offer to come and help us out, but none have been as memorable as Chris. While most are new at farming, Chris has been farming his entire life. But he has a few limitations.

Chris: Ah,things that I can’t do: I can’t drive legally, I can’t operate a chainsaw on my job never really tried, I can’t weed whip or weed-whack, I cannot swim to save my life. You drop a bowling ball and me in the water at the same time, I will beat the bowling ball to the bottom nine times out of nine. Ha ha ha. I was going to say nine times out of ten but no, it’s a hundred per cent. It takes me upwards of four hundred per cent more energy to do everyday tasks than somebody with arms and legs. I’m hopping on one leg. It’s a good little workout.

Narrator: So what can a farmer with no legs and no arms do?

Chris: When I tell people that I’m a farmer, I am pretty sure people are like, “Yeah, all right.”

Narrator: There were my ideas of what Chris could safely do to help out, and then there were his. Though how do you brake?

Chris: Goad jack gear, jerk two-by-four about three feet long, cut a groove in it, and I’ll be driving this thing in about two, three minutes. I’m sure in the back to your mind, you would probably wonder, "Well, how does he do it?", and "How competently can he do it?" When I was born, my grandma actually set the tone for it at a very early stage. Perfect. My uncle phoned my grandma and grandpa to let them know that my mom and dad had a baby boy healthy, but not everything was there. And my grandma didn’t even hesitate for a second. She said, “Well, Bruce, my dad, never did finish anything he started.” Ha ha ha. I grew up riding around on the tractors, the combines, and I’d say when I was about nine or ten, I’d want to start driving on my own and I’ve been basically doing it ever since.

Narrator: One might assume Chris’s parents had a hand in developing his extraordinary independence, but not in the way that you might think.

Chris: Talking to my dad, I asked him, “What did you do differently with me than you would’ve with any other kid?” He said “Nothing.” So my independence is almost endless, now because of their approach.

Narrator: There was very little he couldn’t do.

Chris: I remember as a kid, being sent down to the office, because I wouldn’t wear my prosthetic arm at school. They weren’t really for me, and I don’t think I even realized I was missing arms and legs.

Narrator: He has not only overcome the many physical challenges of his life, but he’s gracefully navigated the most awkward moments.

Chris: I was handing out Halloween candy one year, and the kids are like, “Aw, awesome costume!” I’m like, “I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt. It’s not a costume. This is me. Come back here on the first of November, I’ll be wearing the same thing.” Some people are ashamed of their freckles. Some people are ashamed of that spare tire around their waist. They have big ears, or a big nose or whatever. I think if you’re worried about how you look, you’re cheating yourself out of opportunities.

Narrator: Chris’s powerful courage is fueled by the acceptance that he has for himself. Imagine if in our own lives we could all do the same.