The Ideal WWOOFer...
Going to Work (After Millet)
by Vincent van Gogh
- is content to work alone for several hours on one job, appreciating the meditation & rhythm it provides, without complaining of boredom
- finds the space & quiet of the countryside comfortable & refreshing
- enjoys their own company & is intent on developing a sense of humour when with others
- checks things out by looking & listening & sometimes taking initiatives
- is sensitive enough to see that intellectual discussions can be energy drains at midnight
- refrains from constantly demanding “what next?” or “why?” & appreciates that farming is ‘all go’ or ‘rest while you can’
- recognizes that WWOOF hosts are human beings with failures & fatigue
- knows that spades should not be used as levers for boulders & that fixing them is yet another chore, another expense
- works out that if five people share the same house, chances are that the electrical hot water heater will only provide enough water for one bath each & two loads in the washing machine a week & this is ecologically sound
- realizes that a short hot shower can be sufficient, rather than a long one, because it costs money to create hot water and it also saves water
- tries to identify with the host’s vision & goals therefore looking upon his/her help as a contribution rather than “work”
- tries to seek an open line of communication with the host even if something is not understandable or bothersome
- will also help out in the preparation of meals &/or cleaning up afterwards because the cook would also like to be supported, cleaning up in the kitchen is also a task males can help with!
- AND YOU MUST NOT BACK OUT OF A COMMITTMENT TO A HOST, ONCE YOU HAVE COMMITTED TO GO AND HELP THEM !!!! THIS IS OUR MOST COMMON COMPLAINT FROM HOSTS - WWOOFERS NOT SHOWING UP. PLEASE BE COURTEOUS.
