When I was a kid, I ran over the hose with the lawnmower so many times that my parents stopped asking me to mow the lawn. When I was 16, my driver’s ed instructor insisted I take extra lessons if I wanted to pass my license exam. When I finally got my license, I accidentally hit my boyfriend’s car in the school parking lot, but never had the courage to admit it. All that to say, I’ve never been very comfortable around things with engines.
So, for the past seven years, I’ve been burdening Landon with all tractor-related work on the farm. I’ll happily hand weed carrots from sunrise to sunset, but I recoil at the thought of operating heavy machinery. That is, until today.
I don’t know if it was the beautiful weather or a secret desire to impress my daughter, but something convinced me I was ready. Granted, I only drove the tractor from Point A to Point B in a mostly straight line without coming in contact with crops or soil. But still–I’m one step closer to getting my tractor badge and giving Landon some relief from the onerous jobs of mowing, spading, cultivating, and anything else that requires more horsepower than what two humans can offer.