Manifesto and The Making of a Marginal Farm

I thought both these pieces were interesting to read. I never really thought about how some people work so hard to create something for years and in days it can be destroyed. But, instead of looking at the picture of what you lost; look at the picture at what you gained.

Berry's intent for both of these pieces is that he wants people not to think about the losses in ones life but look at the experience that was gained doing it. Like in the marginal farm he took land that wasn't great for farming and turned it into a great farm land that produced food and wealth for the family. It took years for him to create such a great farm, but not long for a flood to destroy it. He didn't look at the picture and think all the years lost building a farm. He instead looked at the picture and thought i created a great farm when nobody thought it was possible on this land. He looked at it in a different light and saw the experience gained. In Manifesto,gives the same type of moral at the end of the poem.