Damn You, Wendell Berry

Have you ever encountered someone who is so good at something, so spectacular and perfect, that not only are you awed by them, you end up despising them just a little bit? 
You don’t wish them any harm, necessarily.

You just wish that they weren’t so good as to make you feel inferior.

Right now this is how I feel about Wendell Berry, the farmer and writer from Kentucky, often referred to as a modern-day Thoreau.

All that keeps me from outright jealousy is the fact that you’ve probably never heard of him. 

I wish I could hate him for real, or at least harbor a strong dislike for something about the man. But it is impossible to dislike Wendell Berry. The name alone makes sure of that. Who could hate someone named Wendell? Or Berry, for that matter? 

Consider the following from his widely circulated speech, 17Rules for a Sustainable Community: “always ask how local needs might be supported from local sources, including the mutual help of neighbors,” and “always supply local needs first. (and only then think of exporting their products, first to nearby cities, and then to others.)”.  

I bet not too many folks would mind having Wendell Berry as a neighbor, or perhaps their town’s mayor.

My current favorite Wendell quote is this:

"the most alarming state of our society now is that our leaders have the courage to sacrifice the lives of young people in war but have not the courage to tell us that we must be less greedy and less wasteful."

Check out Wendell Berry and you won't be disappointed.