Now I know most folks are not like me but when I was at dear old Shidler High I loved getting out of class to go to the 4-H Spring Livestock Show and in fact now that I think about it, I just loved getting out of class. I am not saying that I did not like school because actually I loved it. What! you say, how could that be. Well if you are from a farm or ranch you know precisely what I mean. Let me explain.
You see if you grow up in the country and you have time at home, you have time to do some work and there is always something to do. If my dad could not think of anything to do we would sweep the dirt floors of the barn, go figure. If it was not sweep dirt floors it was clean out the barn which always had straw and manure or fly droppings or something which needed cleaned. Or you could clean out the empty part of the hay barn for the next hay crop or clean out a grain bin for the next crop of maize or corn or whatever. Do I need to go on? Well Sure! You could go grease the plow sheers or other equipment or go through the junk pile and separate out parts that might be useful vs. those parts which could be sold for junk. How about clean out the pig barns? Does that make sense to anyone? Well we did. Periodically you got the opportunity to walk or ride a horse and check fences and never with an ipod hung around your neck and in your pocket.
Now if you just don't have an appreciation for riding fence it is something along the line of watching paint dry. There actually are some good aspects of riding fence. For example, no one was giving you a list of other things to do (kinda like a wife, just kidding) or you could carry a gun with you and hunt for something to shoot at. By the way did you know it was a standard for every young person to shoot those glass insulators on the electric and phone line poles? Of course I would never do that but I saw a few shot at to the point the lines were laying on the ground which hacked a lot of folks off when the phones did not work or the electricity got shut off for a while. Some folks just could not take a joke or roll with the punches, so-to-speak. Should I explain "so-to-speak", well that means kinda-like or perhaps, did you get it? Ok back to riding fence. Another good aspect is if the weather was good you might get an opportunity to catch a little rest under a big shade tree. If you worked it just right and did not get caught you could do a little fishing.
Ok, let's discuss fishing. Fishing was not with some piece of plastic on a sophisticated hook. Do you remember the meaning of sophisticated? MORE MONEY. Fishing was with a worm which you dug up next to the barn under a board. Well we are off track so let's skip fishing and get back to 4-H.
Since we got so far off track I think we will have to reserve the 4-H livestock Show story for next time and then fishing after that.
So what did you learn from the Osage?
You see if you grow up in the country and you have time at home, you have time to do some work and there is always something to do. If my dad could not think of anything to do we would sweep the dirt floors of the barn, go figure. If it was not sweep dirt floors it was clean out the barn which always had straw and manure or fly droppings or something which needed cleaned. Or you could clean out the empty part of the hay barn for the next hay crop or clean out a grain bin for the next crop of maize or corn or whatever. Do I need to go on? Well Sure! You could go grease the plow sheers or other equipment or go through the junk pile and separate out parts that might be useful vs. those parts which could be sold for junk. How about clean out the pig barns? Does that make sense to anyone? Well we did. Periodically you got the opportunity to walk or ride a horse and check fences and never with an ipod hung around your neck and in your pocket.
Now if you just don't have an appreciation for riding fence it is something along the line of watching paint dry. There actually are some good aspects of riding fence. For example, no one was giving you a list of other things to do (kinda like a wife, just kidding) or you could carry a gun with you and hunt for something to shoot at. By the way did you know it was a standard for every young person to shoot those glass insulators on the electric and phone line poles? Of course I would never do that but I saw a few shot at to the point the lines were laying on the ground which hacked a lot of folks off when the phones did not work or the electricity got shut off for a while. Some folks just could not take a joke or roll with the punches, so-to-speak. Should I explain "so-to-speak", well that means kinda-like or perhaps, did you get it? Ok back to riding fence. Another good aspect is if the weather was good you might get an opportunity to catch a little rest under a big shade tree. If you worked it just right and did not get caught you could do a little fishing.
Ok, let's discuss fishing. Fishing was not with some piece of plastic on a sophisticated hook. Do you remember the meaning of sophisticated? MORE MONEY. Fishing was with a worm which you dug up next to the barn under a board. Well we are off track so let's skip fishing and get back to 4-H.
Since we got so far off track I think we will have to reserve the 4-H livestock Show story for next time and then fishing after that.
So what did you learn from the Osage?
- Riding fence was a way to get out of work
- School was a way to get out of work
- Getting out of school for 4-H was a great way to get out of work
- I think what we are finding here is a linear equation of getting out of work which tells me that "THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE", so stop complaining and get your work done.
gary@thepioneerman.com
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