Considering Neighbors, Tractors and Time

BRYAN WELCH

My neighbor Bill is a great asset to me. He understands machines. When one of my machines isn’t running and I have no idea how to fix it (pretty much every time), I can ask Bill and get a reasonable, logical and well-informed set of directions. Typically, just what I need. In his own shop he has a Farmall H tractor he’s restored, a garden tractor he built from scratch and a 2,000-pound belt-driven drill press he picked up somewhere. His place is immaculate and Bill’s just about the fittest 80-year-old you’ll ever meet.

Bill spends most of his time caring for his wife, Beverly, who has Parkinson’s Disease. I tell Bill she’s lucky to have him. He says he’s lucky to have her.

Beverly’s taken a turn for the worse since she had knee surgery recently, and the other day a for-sale sign showed up on Bill’s lawn. He told me they’re moving into a retirement home. He’s decided he needs a little more help to give Beverly the life they want for her.

He invited me over to look at some of his farm equipment and tools he won’t need any more.

“I have a lot of projects, but I guess I ran out of time,” he said.

And it occurred to me that he didn’t mean he ran out of time that day, or this week. He meant he’d run out of time. He sounded disappointed but he wasn’t maudlin. Bill seemed to figure running out of time — running out of life, as it were — is a perfectly natural state of affairs.

I guess that’s right.

3 Comments

Jill Baker 3/1/2009 12:27:42 PM

Time is such a finite gift. The thing that makes it worth anything is choices like Bill's. He used his time for his own enjoyment, but also invested it in his neighbors and his wife. The return on that investment far outweighs the initial cost. It's encouraging to us younger folks to see how these things play out for people like Bill. Thanks for sharing his story.
Raymond James 2/10/2009 8:41:19 PM

I have to agree with you about helping people. The more you work helping your neighbor the more you help yourself. Everyone has something they are good at, something you can learn. Doing some weeding, gardening for a 80 year old is a great wa to learn about the local weather and soil. Thier back and knees my not work like it used to but the mind is still sharp. The local gardening knowlage is invaluable.
Do not be afraid to help out when you can and ask for help when you need it that is what neighbors are for.
Robert Bullard 1/28/2009 8:27:56 PM

Don't be afraid to help your neighbors I have not met one I couldn't learn something from. I retired at the age of 51, in good health and have been able to help many of my neighbors but they always do more for me. No one will accept money except to replace diesel fuel or some supply but if you don't offer some will be offended (the offer is payment enough). My Kobota tractor-loader-backhoe has been a great asset.

I have Faith in God, Hope in heaven, and beg my neighbor to let me enjoy the greatest blessing of all. But often find they will not accept any.

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