Eating A Peck Of Dirt

When I was coming up, the old folks would say, "You’ve got to eat a peck of dirt before you die."

Often, they'd say it after I’d dropped a delectable edible on the ground and reading my disappointment, told me to retrieve it. I’d seen some­­ kiss the morsel and hold it up to the sky before popping it in their mouths. Perhaps that was their way of asking the Creator to cleanse it —just in case the old saying was nonsense.

Various sources cite the origin of the adage —if not the blessing — to the 1700s, and assign a less prosaic, more artful meaning. They say the appropriate interpretation is, "Everybody's got it hard, so stop complaining."

Not an unreasonable reading, but I think the proverb leaves room for a bushel of applications. For example, “If you want a good life, don't be afraid to get your hands dirty."

Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis (1856-1941) offered his take on this when he reportedly told his daughter Susan, who was complaining of some challenge, “My dear, if you will just start with the idea that this is a hard world, it will all be much simpler” (Alpheus Thomas Mason [1956], Brandeis: A Free Man’s Life). It’s not clear if the “you” here is just Susan, or is to be read as a more universal “you.” Both?

Hygiene Hypothesis

Another interpretation might be, "Obsessing over cleanliness will not add years to your life." In fact, the opposite might be true, and science supports the healthful properties of getting dirty.

The hygiene hypothesis, attributed to British epidemiologist David Strachan, argues that “a lack of exposure to bacteria, viruses, and allergens may prevent the normal development of the immune system." Of course, without a robust immune system, we’re sitting ducks for infections and diseases.

Health care providers and parents, especially, are trying to respond to the hygiene hypothesis.

Alina Bradford wrote in Live Science in 2016, “The CDC recommends regularly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in the home, especially when surfaces have been contaminated by fecal matter or meat or have come in contact with those who have a virus. Children are also encouraged, though, to play outside, even if they may get dirty in the process. This balancing act may prove to help children stay healthy while still developing a healthy immune system” (What Is the Hygiene Hypothesis?, Live Science).

Similarly, the New York Times reported in April that research supports the health benefits of dirt for youngsters.

“A recent Finnish experiment found that children attending urban daycares where a native ‘forest floor’ had been planted had both a stronger immune system and a healthier microbiome [diverse community of healthful microorganisms living in their bodies] than those attending day cares with gravel yards — and continued to have beneficial gut and skin bacteria two years later” (The Surprising Health Benefits of Getting Dirty - The New York Times (nytimes.com)).

Getting Moral Fiber

I find within these two readings of “eating a peck of dirt” — a lot of dirt, by the way — a persuasive argument that experiencing hardship, short- or longer-term trials, bolsters the spirit, adds moral fiber.

Spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle wrote in his book “Stillness Speaks” that, “If you had not suffered as you have, there would be no depth to you, no humility, no compassion.”

This rings true to me. The pursuit of uninterrupted comfort — a life free of dirt — leaves us open to infections of the mind and resistant to generosity and sacrifice, both of which are needed for all of us to survive.

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