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| Photo courtesy of John T. |
A Story from the Life of John T.
Ghostwritten by Alex L.
Tractor Lesson
In life, we have to step out of our comfort zone at one point or another. It’s inevitable. Sometimes, we all have to learn a new skill, go somewhere foreign and unfamiliar, and/or meet new people. Even though doing something you’re not used to can be nerve racking and even terrifying, the result can be worthwhile.
When I was ten, I had to learn how to drive a tractor. I was scared and unsure if I would be able to drive it. After I learned how to drive the tractor, I learned an even more important lesson, learning new things requires us to step out of our comfort zone.
I sat on the driver’s seat of the tractor. My hands shook as they hovered slightly above the steering wheel. I was almost afraid to touch it. I had never driven anything before. This was an entirely new experience for me.
One hour before, I had no idea that I would be learning how to drive a tractor. One hour before, I was eating breakfast and my Uncle Ralph walked into the kitchen and said, “Alright. Since your Uncle Floyd is sick, It’s up to us to pick up the slack and get some work done on this farm.” He paused. “That is why you are going to learn how to drive a tractor and mow the alfalfa for hay.”
“Okay.” I said, hesitantly looking up at him. “Well, how am I going to learn?”
“By experience, trial, and error.”
One hour of verbal instructions and watching Uncle Ralph drive the tractor led next to the driver’s seat of the tractor, where my hands hovered over the wheel. I tried to stall my time by taking in the scenery. The sun levitated slightly above the horizon, hinting that it was still early morning. The sky was clear and blue with only small clouds covering its almost perfect complexion. A slight breeze parted the endless sea of wheat that spread across acres of farmland.
“Are you going to mow the field or keep daydreaming?” Uncle Ralph shouted from behind the tractor.
“Sorry.” I said. “I’ll start in a minute.”
“Do you remember what to do?”
“Yes.” I said, turning my head to face him.
“How do you start the tractor?”
“By pushing the ignition button.”
“What do you do to get the tractor to move?”
“Push the throttle.”
“How many breaks are there?”
“Three.”
“What does each break do?”
“The main break stops the tractor, and the left and right breaks determine which way you turn.”
“What do you do before changing gears?”
“Stop the tractor.”
“Alright, I think you’re ready to start”
“Okay.” I said, turning to face the steering wheel.
I lifted my hand and moved my finger above the ignition. I took a long deep breath trying to clear my head and calm my nerves. I placed my index finger on the button, and pushed down. The diesel engine roared to life, causing the body of the tractor to shake and quiver.
“I hope this thing’s stable.” I said to myself.
I grabbed onto the steering wheel and waited for the tractor’s violent shaking to turn into a soft hum. I hesitantly grabbed the throttle and pushed. The tractor violently lurched forward with an unexpected jolt. I slammed the main break and stopped the tractor. I tried again, this time pushing on the throttle with as little force as possible. The tractor moved forward at a steady pace that I was much more comfortable driving at than the other one. My hands were glued to the steering wheel trying to keep the tractor going straight. I briefly turned my head around to see a small trail of mowed down alfalfa behind me, that continued to grow the further out the tractor drove.
This isn’t that bad, I thought. This is fairly easy.
The more I drove the tractor the more comfortable I became while driving it.
I’m glad I decided to learn something new. Why did I build this up in my mind to be so scary? Thoughts like these continued to go through my mind while I finished up on the first row of alfalfa.
“Well,” I said “Now I know how to drive a tractor.”
I laughed.
Stepping out of our comfort zone is how we learn. The reason why I know how to drive a tractor is because I decided to get onto the seat and drive it for the first time. Even though I was scared, I ignored that fear and did something I had no experience with. In order to gain new skills, one must push away the initial fear of stepping away from what they are comfortable with, and leave their comfort zone.
