Pop the Clutch

Grandpa owned a “back-up” tractor. It was a little gray Massey-Furgeson, the forerunner to the popular Ford 9-N, I think. I don’t know why but it never had a starter the whole time I worked with my Grandfather. If it stalled in the field you would have to get another tractor, hook it up to a chain and pull it to jump-start it. In the evening he parked it on a bank out behind the barn and in the morning you would just hop on, turn the ignition to “on” put it in neutral, put in the clutch and release the brake. When gained speed on the hill you would pop the clutch and the thing would sputter to life.

I always thought it would be a good idea to just buy a new starter, but by the late 70’s those were probably pretty hard to come by, I suppose. The old tractor ran just fine if you knew how to get it started.

Most people are like that. To get the best out of them you have to know them well enough to know how they work, what gets them started in the morning. I want to inspire and encourage the ones I love. I want to be there for them to help them be their best. I want to be a life-long member of in their fan-club. I know I have to be a student of the ones I love if you want to if I want to help them be at their best. I want to be an expert at every one of my kids. I want to make a life-long study of my wife. The Bible says; ” – live with your wife according to knowledge – ” If you are a husband you need to know your wife better than you knew the owners manual of your 1964 GTO. If you are a wife, you want to know your husband better than anyone else he knows knows him. That should keep you busy for a life-time.

My Grandpa-he knew the combination to life. You want to hang around people like that. You can learn something. Someday we’ll talk again.

Ken Pierpont
June 25, 2006
Granger, Indiana