The husband of my mother’s aunt Gladys, whom I called uncle Fred, had a dairy farm in Binghamton, NY. And, of course, uncle Fred had some tractors. One of my favorite pictures from childhood is of me on one of his A-Frame beasts. I think it was taken in 1955. So, I apparently have loved tractors from an early age.
The first tractor that I bought was a 1953 Ford 8N. I bought it in 1985, just after we moved to our farm in Forsyth County.
It ran, but it needed work. I managed to separate the engine and transmission and get the engine block to a machine shop to mill the head. I changed out the clutch myself. I got it put back together, and ran it for many years.
When I got the Massey Ferguson, I let the Ford sit out in the weather. It sat too long. I didn’t have the patience to bring it back to life.
I gave it to my cousin’s husband Dave in Chicago where he and his son gave it the TLC it needed and brought it back to life. It’s now a proud entry in the various neighborhood parades they have in Libertyville, IL.
Looking back on this, I see that I’ve already shown that I can do some serious tractor mechanics, so I really wonder if I’m as inept as my self-talk says.
I’ve decided that I’m going to be intentional about being a tractor mechanic.
And I’m fighting the resistance on this one.
I know I can do it, but this voice in my head. . . .
