As I prepare for Hump Day, which also happens to be Master’s Week, I am beginning the day sipping coffee, sitting in the dark on my great-grandfather’s front porch, listening to the rain fall, the wind blow, the thunder roll and watching the lightning. As dark turns to day, and the rain tapers off, I also am enjoying the sounds of birds, insects and the steaks (cows) in the field. I am also keeping track of the traffic count, which each passing year increases on this beautiful country road our family has been blessed to know for well over a century.
I am thinking about life 100 years ago and am wondering what my 12-year-old grandfather and 44-year-old great grandfather would be thinking, as they potentially sat on this same porch, drinking coffee as they prepared to go to work. As there was a 32-year span between the two men, I am confident that in addition to the labor that was ahead for that specific day, they were thinking of different things. Yes, I called my 12-year old grandfather a man, as the expectations of 12-year old farm boys 100 years ago was vastly different than the expectations today’s society places on 12-year old individuals.
My great grandfather’s mind might have been on the devastation of World War I, which was six months away from ending, a fact no one knew at that time. He may have only been thinking about this year’s agricultural business, so focused on the immediate that he couldn’t think beyond what was right in front of him. Having been blessed to know my grandfather during the last decade of his life, I can safely assume my great-grandfather was thinking further ahead than one year.
No doubt, much like today’s agricultural business owner he was concerned about the labor force, the weather and cost structures he couldn’t control. Since he died in 1926, I am confident he couldn’t have imagined industrialized agriculture as we have witnessed in the last half a century. I am confident he couldn’t have imagined the future of agriculture being in hydroponics or aeroponics, where entire cities could see their greens and vegetable food supply being produced vertically inside containers or high-rise buildings, with high-tech systems monitoring lighting and water with unimaginable specificity, as we are witnessing in the 21st century.
I am confident he couldn’t have imagined the traffic count in front of his driveway being what it is this morning. I am confident he couldn’t have imagined the only region he had ever known being transformed by industries called cyber-security or golf. The idea of his neighbors’ homes being rented for thousands of dollars a week during a golf tournament would have been ludicrous – especially when he had only a few years prior constructed his home for $ 300 and a motorcycle!
As for my 12-year-old grandfather – he very likely was only thinking about how quickly he could accomplish his morning chores before school! While the events of his life would later force him to think long term, and become adept at it, at that point in his life, he was very likely focused on just getting through the day.
For me, thinking about history, both at a high level, as well as the individual family level, I am grateful for our heritage. As you look at your personal family heritage, I hope you are grateful as well and that you can glean wisdom from both family failure and success. Then, regardless of where you are today as an individual, will choose to put your hand back on the plow with vigor, in such a way those coming behind you will look at your life’s work and be grateful for your effort.
I hope you can focus on more than simply getting through the day, sometimes a great challenge, I know.
However, you choose to begin your Hump Day – I sincerely hope you have a productive day!
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