By Hobie Morris
Os mini glodbyddfarw (Welsh) If you would have fame, die.
(Brookfield, NY – June 2015) Most people work hard and live happily and are proud of their children and kind to their neighbors—but that’s not news—The real things in the world, the fine things, the things worthwhile, the simple ordinary lives of self-respecting people, the things that happen every day to everyone—those things don’t get into the papers.
–Owen Glen Ben Ames Williams
In this community, as ours, live a fascinating assortment of colorful people, each with a unique story. Most are good, honest and law abiding people whom you will seldom read about. They are invisible people and not bad news makers.
Brookfielders know that this simple country man and his beautiful and incredibly wonderful wife have lived off the grid for over 35 years. Our challenging lifestyle perplexing to many, envied by a few diehards, but seldom seriously attempted by others.
Compared to another local couple, also living in the secluded Brookfield hills, Lois and I live quite affluently. We have gathered from several snippets of conversations that this couple, although invisible like us, have a rather unusual story to tell.
The beardless man is rather tall, trim for his age, still ruggedly muscled, with a kindly face. His wife is tall, lithe and still stunningly attractive, with a few laugh lines at the corners of her hazel eyes, accentuating a rather lovely wrinkle free face. The man I’ll call Bill seems on the surface less talkative, while his wife laughs often and speaks about the most mundane things with contagious excitement and compassion. (I heard a post office wag say her laugh lines come from her joke of a husband).
Bill and Lydia are seldom apart and express quite freely and openly their love and admiration for each other. This in itself is quite unusual in a community that doesn’t easily or openly give compliments or show affection. From time to time we spot them sitting in the local diner or general store, usually deeply engrossed in reading. I understand they don’t have a TV, computer or smart phones. Lois and I are like this couple in this regard. We don’t have electricity either.
Not too much is known about them. Rumors mostly. They aren’t joiners and seem very contented to live on their little piece of land. They seem to relish their privacy and few in this community have ever visited their home. They seem to pride themselves on self reliance as well as privacy, and people have respected their inclination. They do have a small handful of friends or acquaintances, but we really don’t know them very well.
One day last summer we took them some fresh lettuce and peas from our garden. They were very appreciative and hospitable, inviting us into their rustic house. We found in our conversation that we shared similar lifestyles and philosophy regarding living the simple life. Bill cut and split all their firewood; Lydia cooked primarily on a wood stove. Piles of books lay around the interior. They got their water, like us, from a nearby spring and, of course, used an outhouse. Their organic garden was a beautiful sight to see.
He told me that many of the books he had came from his long teaching career. Lydia, too, was an honored teacher. On the wall was a letter of thanks from one of his favorite students, who later became governor of a Midwestern state. Neither Bill nor Lydia bragged in any way about their life before Brookfield, but I sensed that they had known and corresponded with a long list of very important people. Bill did mention in passing that he had personal correspondence from Jack, Ted and Bob Kennedy, as well as their mother Rose.
Since dropping out of mainstream America, they had gained a new life that was extremely enjoyable to this couple, despite their daily hard physical work that left no time for vacations. By today’s standards their experience of living below the poverty line would seem absolutely crazy to most Americans. Lois and I greatly admire their happiness, motivation and independence. We can’t help liking them.
When we encounter Bill and Lydia, more often than not they ask about needs in the community and how they can help. One day they let slip that they donate a large per cent of their meager income to help others. Lois and I can’t match their generosity, of course, but we know from studies that the poorest people are more often the most generous people when others are in need. To us their generosity is extremely inspirational and a lifelong lesson that should be followed by all of us.
Recently Lois and I learned from an anonymous source that a former student of theirs was doing a book on them that included not only their pre-Brookfield life but the fact that very quietly over the years they had donated a rather impressive amount of money to an amazing number of philanthropic and charitable organizations. Bill and Lydia never mentioned any of this.
My beautiful Lois and I talk often about them. How they are missionaries both in this community and beyond, not only in money but by the example they set for others. While an invisible couple in fast track America, we need many more of Bill and Lydia’s in our failing and faltering country and world. But these are just the musings of a simple country man.
Hobie Morris is a Brookfield resident and simple country man.