He Has a One Tractor Mind

This is a descriptive essay I had to write for my English Lit class in college. We could choose any person in our family, alive or dead. I chose my Dad.

It’s mid-afternoon on a hot summer day, and I’m enjoying a lazy drive through the countryside. Navigating my vehicle amongst the rolling hills and luscious valleys, I am embraced by the scents of the farmland around me. As the earthy smell of freshly mown hay wafts into my senses, my mind drifts to thoughts of my Dad. 

He always dressed the same each day. A soft, well-worn flannel shirt covers his broad chest, and sturdy denim blue jeans protect his long legs from the elements. His clothes are an outward sign to the world that he is a man of modest means, and one of the hardest workers I’ve ever known. I can remember, as a young child, when he’d carry me on his strong shoulders. Sitting there, high atop his 6’4” frame, his strong, sun-kissed arms held me in place. Once I had been placed back on the ground, he’d wink his gold-flecked emerald green eyes at me, and offer up a Cheshire cat-like grin. The lines in his face had only started to become prominent, as his smooth skin gave way to the gentle curve of his laugh lines. 

At the end of the day, when all the barn work was finished, back up onto his shoulders I’d go. As we walked from the barn to the house, he willingly allowed me to curl my tiny fingers into his dark chocolate colored locks. He even went as far as to remove the John Deere cap from his head, which had been there all day, so that I could do so. Once inside the house, after he had taken off his smooth, brown leather work boots, I often slid my feet into them, and asked him when I’d be as tall as he was. His response was always the same. “Well, kiddo, you’ll probably never be as tall as me, but you’ll be tall enough.”  His words were always a paradox to me, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve grown to understand them. He was trying to teach me that I didn’t have to grow up to be just like him. I only had to grow up to be myself.  

As my thoughts continue to circle round and round, a soft smile crests my lips. My dad taught me a very important lesson in life. Thanks to him, I am blessed with many moral values that he passed on to me, as well as a hard work ethic. Whether I grew up to be exactly like him, or not, I’ve still grown and developed into an important person with many things to offer the world.