Midwest Memory again

With classes and socialization, it has been pretty hard to blog.

I'm lying... I just can't think of anything to blather on about.

I guess I'll just trudge up another memory that I spent so long trying to forget. Talking about something is the first step of healing, right?


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A day after a rain storm, my mother and I went out to check on the cattle herd. In our humongous van, we prepared to make our way across a moist and murky landscape (much like my attempt to recall this). The gate to the field was a heavy metal construct (no, I don't mean it was the crap that kids listen to nowadays, I meant it had properties of both steel and other heavy elements). Directly in front of the gate was a large puddle formed by the previous rain.

Eventually getting to the gate, my mom got out to lift the heavy gate and swing it open. The reason I wasn't doing it was that my strength was similar to my maturity, meaning I was pretty weak.

Mother had me get into the driver's seat and instructed me on the key actions I would need to pilot through this gate (because it wouldn't make any sense for my mom to open the gate and walk back to drive through and get out again to close it). Being short, I had to maneuver myself to be close enough to the breaks and have a good view through the windshield. Eventually reaching an equilibrium, I could neither reach the breaks or see through the window. Time to drive!

Hitting the gas with spirit and gump, the van went careening forward. Out of fear of breaking the van with my poor driving, I immediately struck the breaks. Stopping as fast as I started, the van stopped right in the middle of the thick puddle.

It took my mom half an hour to get out. Pretty good for a first try at driving.

Another Memory...

On the fateful date of my 8th birthday, many fateful things occurred.

Well actually, I just got stung by some wasps.

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Ona birthday trip to the barn, our tractor rode along.

I was excited, for no sane reason other than being easily excitable at such a young age.

Once in the barn, our small minded dog began digging around in the corner. I became worried because there was a tractor moving about, even though it was on the other side of a large barn and it wouldn't fit into the corner anyway.

Little did I know, danger was afoot, or maybe a yard, away.

Yes, my microbrain dog was digging up a hornets nest, not as a political allegory but as a literal digging up exercise in futility.

Exclaiming in a far too girly voice, "Oh No!" I ran up to save my dog from the stinging menace.

Yeah, it was pretty dumb, much like most of my Midwest Memories.

Midwest Memories

I'm not a complete idiot; I realize that Mankato, MN, is still technically in the Midwest United States. It still seems like a good idea to reflect though, due to a lack of other things to blog about.

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In the days of years past, I would hike across sprawling pastoral fields, admiring the wonders of nature. Whether it was the aggressive competitions between birds over insignificant territory or the decaying flesh of cattle that died well past their prime, nature's message of the circle of life has never been more evident.

During one of these many walks, I spotted a flurry of activity in some nearby bushes. The immature rapscallion in me urged me to hoot and holler, trying to scare whatever was in the bushes out so that I would be able to know what it was and thus blog about it in the future.

The civilized aspect of my personality argued that patience was key when watching nature, convincing me to wait for the creature to expose its identity. Little did I know, I was well on my way to being a grown up.

Oh yeah, back to my friend in the bushes (and no, this isn't a story about college parties).

The animal didn't show itself, leaving me curious for a few moments before my overactive imagination kicked in and I continued on my walk while singing along with the voices in my head.

This story might not have had a point, but at least I'm blogging.

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If I ever recall anything else from my childhood on the farm, I'll post under Midwest Memories.