Wayne Take the Wheel

It is almost a law of nature that any kid that grows up on a farm will learn early how to operate a tractor. The skill develops only a short time after learning to walk.

As an eight-year-old, it became my job to handle our little Ford tractor while pulling a two wheeled trailer that contained my dad and his spraying rig. My dad took pride in his apple orchard, which required frequent spraying to protect the fruit from various forms of pestilence. With dad’s coaching, I soon learned the moves required to back the trailer into positions where he could spray all parts of each tree. Additionally, it was important to properly ease off the clutch pedal for a smooth start. I only threw my dad off the trailer a couple of times.

By now, my driving and especially my backing ability has improved. However, there are times when I can still find myself in a pickle. Those times, like when I need to back a wagon into a near-impossible spot, I call on the spirit of an old friend.

Wayne Bringman grew up two miles from our place in Bartholomew County, not far from the eastern border of U.S. Camp Atterbury. His met the most strict definition of a family farm. Wayne had three older brothers and when spring arrived, each was on a tractor, preparing the way for their dad to come along with the planter.

As the years passed, and the older brothers left the farm, I occasionally was “invited” to help with a hay day. It was on these days that I first witnessed Wayne’s special ability. On the days when I would help, it was our job to take loaded wagons to a barn a mile away, unload the hay into a mow, and get the empty wagon back to the field by the time the older brother had the next hundred bales of Clover hay loaded.

Wayne pulled eleven loads that day behind the farm’s pickup truck, and did it rather hurriedly on a gravel road, and never lost a bale. The most amazing thing to see was how Wayne could expertly back up, and position the wagon exactly where needed, mind you not with a handy tractor, but with a pickup truck. Wayne was always a humble fellow, however the annual 4-H fair helped folks witness just what Wayne could do.

4-H is a program that allows young people the opportunity to express their talents and also to learn more about their various interests. Today 4-H has a wide variety of programs and projects aimed at satisfying the curiosities of young people from urban and non-urban backgrounds. Perhaps the best thing about 4-H is that it gives young people the chance to experience a bigger world than they would have otherwise.

The 4-H Tractor Maintenance project was a favorite of Wayne’s. The project provided practical knowledge, and Wayne always valued the practical side of things. The project not only taught general machine maintenance but also demonstrated and emphasized safety practices while operating equipment. Along with safety, the project discussed skills needed for more efficient Tractor driving. This was an area where Wayne shined. And, each year during our county 4-H Fair, he was given the chance to measure himself against other y0ung 4-H tractor driving folks in Bartholomew County. At the fair, project members were given a short, general written test that included parts identification. In addition, project members competed in a tractor driving contest which included (for the older contestants) driving forward and backing a hay wagon through an obstacle course. Wayne confided in me that he asked a brother for advice before the contest, “Go to beat Hell and don’t look back.” was the reply. Evidently it was good advice. Wayne was poetry in motion, and qualified to compete at the Indiana State Fair while in his last two years in 4-H.

I think about Wayne and 4-H a lot when encouraging young people to challenge themselves. One never knows where and how an experience will lead a person. Wayne’s opportunity to compete at the state fair took him out of Bartholomew County for the first time in his life. Looking back, I think it is entirely possible that the experience had a hand in leading Wayne to college and an improved professional life as a crop producer.

That phrase, “Go to beat Hell and don’t look back.” has its place. Point of fact, when a driver does not look back, the result usually is a straighter path for whatever is being driven. The phrase could also describe most farmers when trying to accomplish the next important thing on a never-ending “to do list”. However, as a person gets older, the “to do list” include care for oneself. When harvest is just around the corner though, or when it’s time to plant before predicted rains come, or spraying needs to get done, self-care too often takes a back seat. Such was the case for Wayne.

Let this be a lesson for us guys. When certain changes show up in the body, there is nothing more important than getting checked out, just to see if the issue is serious. Prostate Cancer can be overcome if diagnosed early, which takes a two-hour time investment for a trip to the doctor and a blood test.

If determination alone could whip that evil disease, my friend would still be among the living, still tending straight rows of corn and soybeans on their Clinton County farm.

The Indiana State Fair concluded this week. I wonder how many 4-H kids who competed there saw the big city for the first time. And I wonder how many young people will strive for bigger things because of the experience.

Like I have mentioned, the recollection of Wayne Bringman and his machine handling prowess has helped me out of a pickle here and there. Call it prayer to a Lord’s helper, or simply a wish, the spirit of my friend when called upon, seems to help when doing tricky things behind the wheel. At the very least, it always brings a smile.