Crop circle in a farm in Beardstown, Ill.

I’ve recently accepted a new job. Learning all my new responsibilities will take a lot of time, effort and concentration. It will be a demanding job on a daily basis. I couldn’t imagine trying to perform this job after an unexpected disruption from an alien space craft. It seems like an event such as a UFO landing in the middle of the work place might just throw everything off for a while. Fortunately, I will be working in an office and not out on a farm, so I do not think this is going to be a problem.

O'Donnell

This is not the case for a man in Beardstown, Ill. Local television station KHQA reports this local farmer is dealing with the aftermath of discovering a crop circle while plowing his wheat field. Though the man’s land may have been visited by life forms from another world, he seems more concerned and put out with the intrigued earthly masses trying to sneak a peek at the circle.

KHQA’s report never mentions the farmer by name, but the station did manage to land an interview with the land’s previous owner. Dave Spears spoke of his own experience finding a crop circle after an aerial photo was taken of the property. He also mentioned how the farm has a history of producing some strange items. Conjoined watermelons, cantaloupes and pumpkins also have been grown on the land.

Spears was talkative with KHQA, but the unnamed farmer and current land owner is a bit more short. He points out that the crop circle is “no blessing.” He has been visited by a UFO research team and has offers from countless more groups wanting to come take a look. Others have just dropped in to examine the circle including KHQA reporter Melissa Shriver who went out to the middle of the circle and described the view as “creepy.”

KHQA’s website currently has a poll posted gathering opinions from around the area. The station wants to know if the public thinks the crop circle is real, man-made or caused by some other occurrence. To see more photos, the poll and the station’s original story, pay its website a visit: www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=637520

Whatever the overall opinion concludes will not change the fact that this farmer is unhappy with the attention the crop circle has brought to his land. As cited in the report, the man says if he ever finds another he will plow it under.

A potential connection to alien life forms would give most the excuse to start cashing in on their fifteen minutes of fame. This unnamed farmer is not one of those people. Audiences will probably never see his face on “Survivor” or in the “Big Brother” house. Whether its visits from aliens or the press, the guy wants to get back to work. He is simply a man longing for just another day at the office. Too bad aliens and their UFO got in the way.

Jordan O’Donnell