What a great question and I really have enjoyed taking a few minutes thinking about how I was prepared as a youngster and as I got older in the work place. I especially remember every year when tractor driving time came (that is called farming) and Dad would spend hours preparing the tools before we started. I don't remember how often but it seemed like every spring we would change all the oil and filters in the tractors and apply grease to everything that needed it. Now I know young folks don't know what grease really is. They think it has something to do with bacon or fat in their foods. Well grease comes in a few forms but on the farm there was grease for tools where you took a grease gun and attached it to a zerk where you would pump the baring full of grease. The other type of grease you could not squeeze out of anything as it was so thick it was hard to dig into with your fingers and it was used for packing wheel barrings. Well the other things you did was checking the plows, discs, spring tooth, or chisel (all farm equipment) and make sure nothing was broke. Everyone had a welder to make repairs as there was surely broken parts. If you could not find a part in the junk pile or use the welder to fix it you had to drive to Sedan, Kansas or Ark City to get parts.
Now I know farming has changed a lot but every spring it was about prepare first then plant. It did not matter if it were the garden or the fields of wheat, alfalfa, or sorghum or whatever, you had to get things ready. When you were not getting ready to plant you were getting ready to harvest. There was always something to do and it never started much after daylight or it seemed like it was never complete at all much less before dark. Now that I think about it there was never any paid overtime, guaranteed benefits other than we got to sleep and for the most part we always got to eat. Anyway what was interesting about farm life is you were always preparing for something, even retirement. Some folks retirement was dependent on their kids taking care of the farm and thus the parents. Some folks retirement was how long can I work before physically not being able work and hopefully the debt was paid down enough that Mom could get along without DAD. In our case Dad went to work at the post office as a side job so he could build up a retirement. Most just had to pay down debt and hope there was enough money left over to put back for retirement. What are you doing? OUCH!
Thinking back over things I remember Mom always telling me to go to school and I think she was just preparing me for a future. Planning? If you don't plan you are planning to fail is one of my favorite sayings. I guess I could plan for the government to take care of me, hum? The government is heading toward a $20 trillion deficit. Perhaps farmers and little small town folks are a whole lot smarter than big city folks who think we should not prepare by having the government handle it.
By the way I think I came up with something original the other day. Publicans are by definition tax collectors and if a tax collector collects taxes over and over again wouldn't they be re-publicans?
So what do you learn in the Osage?
Now I know farming has changed a lot but every spring it was about prepare first then plant. It did not matter if it were the garden or the fields of wheat, alfalfa, or sorghum or whatever, you had to get things ready. When you were not getting ready to plant you were getting ready to harvest. There was always something to do and it never started much after daylight or it seemed like it was never complete at all much less before dark. Now that I think about it there was never any paid overtime, guaranteed benefits other than we got to sleep and for the most part we always got to eat. Anyway what was interesting about farm life is you were always preparing for something, even retirement. Some folks retirement was dependent on their kids taking care of the farm and thus the parents. Some folks retirement was how long can I work before physically not being able work and hopefully the debt was paid down enough that Mom could get along without DAD. In our case Dad went to work at the post office as a side job so he could build up a retirement. Most just had to pay down debt and hope there was enough money left over to put back for retirement. What are you doing? OUCH!
Thinking back over things I remember Mom always telling me to go to school and I think she was just preparing me for a future. Planning? If you don't plan you are planning to fail is one of my favorite sayings. I guess I could plan for the government to take care of me, hum? The government is heading toward a $20 trillion deficit. Perhaps farmers and little small town folks are a whole lot smarter than big city folks who think we should not prepare by having the government handle it.
By the way I think I came up with something original the other day. Publicans are by definition tax collectors and if a tax collector collects taxes over and over again wouldn't they be re-publicans?
So what do you learn in the Osage?
- prepare - preparation is central to be independent
- work like everything depends on you and have faith like everything depends on God
- don't be a re-publican but be a ??????????, OH get over it, it was for fun.
Thanks for your time,
gary@thepioneerman.com
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