Our guest blogger this month is Keith Swenson, one of our collaborators for the im4u.world project. Keith has a long career in urban planning with a practice that spanned the country. Now in retirement, Keith works with legislators and special interest groups to tackle climate change issues.
“Cutting the Section” was Dad's shorthand term for mowing the weeds along the drainage ditches and fields bordering the mile square, 640-acre section we farmed. We did not own the #farm; we sharecropped it. Moreover, the drainage ditches were within the public right-of-way. But #Dad was not concerned that he did not own property. He simply viewed this to be his #responsibility, a sign of being “a good #neighbor” in the #farm community.
My task in this periodic #summer project consisted of walking the four-mile distance, a few yards ahead of Dad's mower, pitchfork in hand, a burlap “gunny sack” tied to my belt, and pockets stuffed with strips of cloth. The pitchfork had two purposes. First, to pick up stray bits of wire and other rubbish which I stowed in the gunny and, second, to beat on the weeds to scare up any nesting #birds. When a #bird flew out, I marked its exit with a scrap of cloth, a signal to #Dad to raise the mower cutter bar to avoid crushing a nest with eggs or young hatchlings. Dad's sense of “#responsibility” extended to pretty much all the natural environment, especially ground-nesting birds.
We finished up at sundown, washed up and had supper. Dog tired, I showered and hit the sack. The swimming pool would have to wait for another day, again. Delayed gratification is not something that comes easy to a #teenager, especially someone like me. I often thought he was too hard on me.
Two weeks later the #Agricultural Extension Service folks sponsored their annual countywide 4-H Club #farm tour. I was active in 4-H (a national #farm #youth organization) and participated in the day-long tour. Our #farm happened to be the last one visited. #Dad had hand mowed and raked the entire five-acre farmstead. #Dad disappeared, leaving me to receive the accolades from club members and leaders alike for maintaining the “most beautiful #farm” in the County. One of the adults called attention to the fact that even the roadsides had been mowed but wondered why the weeds seem to have been trimmed at varying heights. I chuckled and related my story about “Cutting the Section”. It drew a rousing ovation. I was, and still am, immensely proud of my #Dad.
#Dad was instilling a work #ethic in me that served me well throughout my #life. And he did through action, not just words. And he modeled the #behavior he wanted his son to emulate. He would not have said it that way; he was not one for fancy talking. The rewards in life came for those that accepted #responsibility, worked hard, stayed focused and did the right thing. Or, the shorthand, “If I don’t, who will?”.
Today, when I think of Dad's 5-word reply, “IF I Don't, Who Will?”, as I have so many times over the intervening 70 years, I think of the words “#responsibility”, “#neighbor”, “#respect”, “#leadership”, “#environment”, and how the events of those days shaped my life, and by extension, the lives of many others.
Next week. A Father’s Lesson Lasts a Lifetime
This is part of a multi-part story. To view past installments, please visit our blog, Learn-Engage-Empower at im4u.world.
This story is among many that inspired us to create im4u.world, an ambitious project to build positive and constructive conversations around the world, share learning experiences to create real change at the local level. It is easy to join us. Simply start by filling out our Global Survey, a short 15 question survey asking you what the most important issues are facing humanity. Your voice matters and we are listening.
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