Father’s Day is coming and so it is fitting that my essay about my grandpa, titled The Tractor, should be published this month on Thread, a literary magazine.
Writing about the American side of my family (my mother’s) is a new venture for me. Hopefully this will balance the scales a tiny bit since my memoir coming out in Spring 2017 features my father’s side of the family, and my husband’s.
I very much wanted this essay to include the crackling recording I have of my grandfather interviewing me about the very work remembered in this essay.
Unfortunately the editor felt the quality wasn’t good enough. So I’m sharing it here (bonus: you get to hear my terrible German accent speaking English at age eight; but hey, at least I could speak!):
Removing a Tree Stump (turn the volume up all the way)
Below a photo of our own tractor these days and our whole wood-splitting operation.
Here’s to dads and grandfathers, and to work involving tractors and wood!
You did have quite a strong accent at that point in your life!
Sure did!
Love that old Ford! Funny how the shared, steady work you describe can stay with one for a lifetime. We tend to look to leisure for that now, but I wonder if at some deep level it's always been about shared work, whether in kitchen or field.
Thank you, Richard! I was happy to find the photo of Grandpa and me on the old Ford tractor among the slew of family photos a cousin had given me a while ago. I have to say that shared work has always been gratifying to me, even in the office environment, I have always relished team work.