Posted by John_PA on April 14, 2013 at 22:37:07 from (71.182.161.234):
Today marks the day, 39 years ago...
On this night, about 1am EST...
A bunch of kids about 20 years old had a party in our barn, complete with cocaine and beer, and marijuana, and cigarettes.
Tonight, 39 years ago, they decided that, even though employed by my father, it would fun to light a hay fire on the barn floor and see what happens.
The barn, full of equipment, hay, and tons of heritage, burned like a gasoline fire lit with a blow torch.
They all stood around, knowing that the farm house was out of view, and the farmers inside were sleeping. The barn caught quickly. It burned so hot the hitch on the All-Crop 66 warped enough to touch itself. The pull type drop lime spreader curled like a caterpillar under the heat of a magnifying glass, until one steel wheel almost touched the other.
The hay burned so hot, they fled into the trees, taking their beer and bodies and watched from a hilltop. They got such a rush; so much so, that they decided 8 other barns in the area would be great targets...
What a sight... They burned 9 total...
How fast it burned up.
No lights around, it must have been so bright.
In a drug induced stupor, that must have been so powerful to take out all those barns.
In the aftermath, the baler was gone, the corn picker, the hay, the corn planter, the pony, the combine, the lime spreader, the silo, the barn, the rock and foundation... All gone...
Fallen unto itself, a charred smelling ruins of what the farm was... A mere fun night that took an entire farmer's career and ripped it apart...
A man who employed you to bale hay...
You stood back and watched as his life burned to the ground... You laughed with your pals. You found it so funny, you did it 8 more times. You got away with it. a slap on the wrist, with no restitution, because you were young and poor...
Well, it has been 39 years to the day.
I was not there. I wasn't born. Have I forgotten? No, I have not. I know your names. You apologized and my family forgave. But I was not born.
I grew up with a burden knowing that if I was t farm, it would be from almost scratch. I knew that, from a young age, everything would be hard and everything will be an uphill battle.
39 years have gone by.
Today.
I have more of a fire inside me than anything you could have lit. I have such a fire of passion that one day, I will, become larger than anything you or your children could produce. I will be the best farmer and I will be the man who forgives, and also forgets. I will give my life to make this farm what it was before you ever breathed life. Then, I will multiply that by 10 and then 10 again. That will be the success of me and my farm. My dad never forgot, but we moved on.
Now, we will become everything that our family has dreamed and no one will stop us.
The insurance money replaced the baler with a used one, minus $410. Nothing else, including the building was rebuilt from that money. It wasn't enough to cover the cost of a used baler.
Now, we are stronger. I am a grown man and we don't hire help. We will keep farming this land and we have gotten bigger and better and healthier as a farm than you can imagine.
39 years ago was the end, but from the ashes arose me. I have risen so much bigger and stronger and more powerful... wiser... guarding everything with the most power the law allows... that I don't see it as a point when our farm was ever in danger. Instead, I see it as a point where we realized that no matter what, we are strong.
No matter what happens, no matter what we loose, no matter what anyone takes away, and no matter how close we come to farming with shovels and hoes; WE WILL SURVIVE and God granted, we will create something better than ever existed.
For thank, I thank Him.
I also thank my family.
For, 39 years ago today, was the end of our farm. Nothing is impossible with God and with good faith and a trust in Him.
It also took a peace and understanding of what we had to do, but without Him, we could not have come this far.
We have also learned. We will not allow those mistakes again. But right now, I am so forever thankful to God and all that He is, for the last 39 years. It showed us just how steadfast our love of Him and of our heritage is.
I pray for another 39 years of peace and understanding. If it happens again, w can rebuild without the help of our community or extended family... Just like we did the first time.
Our family can do it on our own with God.
Of course, if you read this and think you can burn my new barn down and get away with it, I'll probably tie you up and roast you over the fire... LOL
Anything is possible with God. Please remember this in your life. I'm sure you will do fine.
39 years ago, I wasn't born yet, but you could not convince my family of that. They dreamed of me being new life and spark to their tradition. It took years of true trials and tribulations. Now they know it to be true. Anything is possible with God.
Keep God on your farm and pray everyday to be blessed with family; and with the same hard work you are used to, the rest will just fall into place.
39 years ago today, it wasn't a tragedy... It was a gift. I am so thankful to be given this gift...
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