Tom busied himself with tractor research like a hibernating bear. In the morning, I’d see him mosey over to the computer and sit.
“Tommy, do you want breakfast?”
No response. “Tom. I’m having cereal and milk. You want any?”
No response.
Moving to his side, I’d touch his arm and bend over. “Tom. You hungry?”
Startled, he’d look up and answer. “Yeah. Why’d you ask?”
I’d run to the grocery store, mall, meet friends at Starbucks, have my oil changed, and when I’d return home, he hadn’t moved.
This went on for days, weeks, even months.
I saw various colored brochures tossed around his office. One day he said, “There’s a tractor show in Raleigh in a few weeks, I think I’ll fly up there.”
Astounded doesn’t describe it. Tom is a homebody. He rarely goes anywhere. For him to suggest going somewhere he’d never been–by himself, is like me saying I’d babysit your quintuplets.
The day came. He flew out, rented a car, secured a hotel room, and attended the conference. Anxious to hear about it, I called.
“Well, what did you think?”
“I only went the first day. This show is a little out of my league. I don’t even know what the machines do. Plus, they cost more than a house on Clearwater Beach! Believe it or not, I actually stood inside the wheel of one tractor.
He sent the pic.
Who knew there were tractors the size of Godzilla?
We bought a tractor. It’s orange. It’s cute. It’s just the right size for us. And we don’t have to sell our oldest child to purchase it.
Have you ever made any BIG mistakes in farming? What did you learn?
