John Mellencamp-his feelings...

It’s just my opinion, that doesn’t make it true, it’s just what I think. After 34 years, I thought I’d write something down for a change instead of going off on a tangent.

It seems to me that this world is in motion, nature calls for adversity. So, it’s important to witness the actual problem, not just a perception of the problem. It is important to take our minds out and simply observe what is going on around us, as opposed to thinking we have an answer and giving a knee jerk reaction. And then, just to allow creativity to come.

 Human beings are the only ones, the only species on this earth, that have the ability to be creative. It’s what makes us the ones able to solve problems. The art of being able to not just react, but to observe what is going on, and through creativity, the answer will come. And for me, thinking about this on the way up here, this is what we have to be hopeful about. It’s what we can have faith in. It’s what we can be grateful for right now, our capacity for creative thought.

As a young man, I didn’t believe in marriages, but as an old man I do. I see what the farmers will see when you look at the dirt under your fingertips, and that’s the miracle of life.

~John Mellencamp

Farm Aid 2019 press conference