I met Mr. Eco , a Karen hilltribe elder , when he "sold" me an abandoned rice field tucked in a mountain valley 3 hrs north of Chiang Mai on a highway to nowhere . He raised 5 children on those rice fields , never had a "job" , spoke little Thai , one pair of shoes , worlds biggest smile but fewest teeth and built his home from bamboo and mud from the field that fed his family . We didn't share many words between us but I was always invited to sit and have a cup of herbal tea with him and his chickens when I walked past his empire .. At 84 he still had the habit of picking up a hoe and head to the rice field " just to tidy things up ". I believe this man was the most content person I have yet to meet and as far as being happy , that sparkle in his eye revealed a life lived fully , even though that life was contained on 15 rai . I do hope someday I will be brave enough to trust my hands and wit and the abundance of the land to meet my needs not how much money I have in the
bank .