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Cooper Mitchell
Kristin Bell Shelby
ENGL 1113
5 February 2023
How The Farm Shaped Cooper Mitchell
“Son, you only get out of this life what you put into it.” My dad used this motto every
day on the farm, it would also shape me into who I am today. I have lived on a farm since the
day I came home from the hospital. Being the son of a fourth-generation farmer, expectations
were high, to say the least. From as far back as I can remember I have helped my father and tried
to keep up. Farming is the only thing I've ever known, more or less the only option I received.
However, my life would not be the same without it. I would not have the farm knowledge, nor
the life lessons I have today because of it. In my eyes, the most important of all of them come
from my father in a tractor cab at 2:00 am. I asked him why he felt the need to work as much as
he did. He replied, “ son you will only get out of this life the amount you put into it”. This late-
night talk has stuck with me ever since, constantly revolving in my head.
So I took this talk and began to apply it. I began waking up before my father and trying to
get done as much as I could before he left the bed. Once I began this I noticed just how difficult
it was. However, this was the only way of life we knew. Every summer was spent working by
my dads’ side. From sun up to sun down. It seemed like the cycle never ended. Quite honestly it
didn’t and still hasn't. After all of these years of living on the farm, one would think that I would
continue this way of life, but this would not be entirely true. To give some background on how
this came to be we need to go back to the year 2020. Freshman year was in full swing, and life
was normal. This did not last long. Covid had hit and immediately began to show its ugly teeth.
Like all the other kids around I thought lockdown would be great because it would mean no
school. I could help on the farm and get paid to not be in school, overall I thought I had it made.
Virtual learning seemed fine to me. Everything seemed as normal as the circumstances could
allow. After the first few days, my mental health had already begun to decline, much more than
my parents or I could prepare for.
Lockdown started and I began to notice things about not only myself but about my
“friends” as well. I learned very quickly that human interaction played a huge part in what made
me happy. Once reality began to sink in I realized that I would not be having face-to-face
interactions for a long time. This hit me emotionally and physically. I began to gain weight,
spend hours on end inside of my room, and not talk to anyone I cared about. On top of that, my
work on the farm began to decrease as well. I did not want to help my dad at all. The mental
drive and focus I once had was no longer with me. I couldn't explain it. Sadly at this time, my
parents had noticed something was wrong.
After these tendencies continued people began to ask really difficult questions. Questions
that up until this point in my life, I had only heard when I asked or when I heard about them from
someone else. On a cold snowy day in February, my parents said to get in the car and were going
to the doctor, and I was terrified. Did they know something about me that I didn't? I reluctantly
put my headphones in and got in the car. We walked into the doctor's office and I asked why we
were there. They answered “son, we are concerned about your mental health.
Turns out they had a reason to be, I had depression. The doctor diagnosed me and put me
on what I would begin to call my happy pills. I had no idea what to do or say. At the same time, I
didn't want to do or say anything at all. My tendencies continued for many months. Neither I nor
my parents saw any difference in my mood or behavior. By this time we had begun to go back to
school and things were still the same. As I walked down the hall on a Tuesday I saw my mother
crying in the hallway talking to my English teacher. Naturally, instead of walking up and asking
what was wrong I hid behind a corner and eavesdropped. What I heard destroyed me. My mother
said “I don't know what to do anymore.” That was all I needed. I came from around the corner
with a fake smile on my face and said hi to my crying mother, and kept walking. Later that same
day my mom pulled me aside and said “we have an appointment after school today.”
We traveled west, to the place that would determine what I wanted to do in the world. I
sat down across from a licensed counselor for the first time that day. I continued to go twice a
month every month for the next year and a half. Each time I went I became stronger and more
aware of what was really going on. I began to take the advice and use it in my comeback story.
Little by little the person I was hiding for so long became the person I am today. After gaining
my confidence back, I began trying to help people myself and I loved it.
People started to ask me how I did it, and how they could do it themselves. I did the best I
could to help anyone that came to me for help. Of course, I was not perfect, but if I could help I
had full intentions of doing so. The longer I did this the better I began to feel. Toward the end of
2021, I decided to get into the gym. I learned that it helps me emotionally and makes me feel
better about myself the more I go. Now I can help people talk about their feelings, and encourage
them to take up new hobbies that could help them process their emotions. I could help them deal
with their pain or whatever it may be while being productive as well.
After so many trials and tribulations life has taught me a very valuable lesson. Even
though you may be in the lowest of lows, there is always some kind of light at the end of the
tunnel. You decide what you do with this light. You can chase it until you catch it or you can let
it stay at the opposite end of the tunnel. After all of this, I have finally begun to use my fathers'
advice. Anytime I do not feel like putting in the work for myself or others, I remember that late
night tractor talk. “Son you only get out of this life what you put in it.” I've been going to the
gym for a while now and have encouraged my friends to come too. Never forget that when you
catch your light, you can use yours to help guide others to finding theirs. I think doing things that
are more productive mentally and or physically is a far better solution than taking up bad habits
like alcohol or drugs. Encouraging people to go to the gym and helping them find out who they
are and who they want to become has made me a better person and feel like a better person for it.

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Cooper Mitchell

Kristin Bell Shelby

How The Farm Shaped Cooper Mitchell

my parents or I could prepare for.

parents had noticed something was wrong.

with their pain or whatever it may be while being productive as well.

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