¶ Green Acres Fantasy vs. Reality
His name was Oliver . He was a successful Harvard-educated attorney in New York City , but over time he became , I don't know , disillusioned Maybe that's the right word Disillusioned by the hustle and bustle of the city life . Instead , he longed for the simplicity and independence of rural living . He dreamed of leaving behind the urban life and becoming a farmer .
So one day , against the wishes of his glamorous and materialistic wife Lisa , oliver bought a dilapidated farm in a small town where he embraced the role of a farmer . His dream had come true . There , in the little farm town called Hooterville , oliver Wendell Douglas was changed forever .
And some of you are saying wait a minute , that's the old TV show Green Acres . That's right , you got me . But maybe it's just a fantasy dream by those of us who grew up in the city . You know , I grew up in a small town , but it was not farm town at all .
I don't know , maybe real farmers and ranchers envy our lives in town , but I doubt that Today we're diving into the unexpected connection , one that links the steady , time-honored wisdom of a farmer with the freedom-seeking spirit of a motorcycle rider .
Yeah , it's easy to romanticize rural life , much like Oliver Wendell Douglas did in Green Acres , but behind the charm of a farm life lies a deep understanding of machines , a required resilience to keep going no matter what , and an unshakable respect for Mother Nature . Let's talk about it . Thank you for joining me today . Recorded in beautiful Loveland , colorado .
Welcome to Peace , love Moto the podcast for motorcyclists seeking that peaceful , easy feeling as we cruise through this life together . Are you ready , let's go ?
¶ Screens vs. The Real World
How many of us feel , I don't know , weird or at least discouraged , when we think about how many hours we spend in front of a computer screen and how many hours we've spent in front of this tiny little screen in our hand that we also call a phone . Unimaginable , how many hours we have spent . I can't complain , though .
I mean , I've made a good living in front of a computer screen , and sometimes well , yeah , sometimes I just think about what are my grandchildren going to think of me from when they look back at whatever age and when we're not staring at screens anymore , I hope and they look back at us on how many years and years we spent staring at the phone or staring at
the computer screen , when there's a real outdoors going on out there , where there are sunrises and sunsets and birds are singing outside , all the time we're inside staring at a screen . I don't know , but I was fortunate enough to know my grandparents on my mother's side especially knew them well . My grandparents taught me
¶ Learning to Drive with Papa
what it means to be a farmer . My grandfather he was known as Buddy , but my cousin and I we called him Papa . Papa was the one who taught my cousin Randall and I how to drive . He taught us on the same day . I was maybe 10 or 11 years old and my cousin Randall was about a year younger . I'll never forget that day and that pickup truck .
I believe it was a 1966 Chevrolet C10 . It had a three-speed manual transmission . At 10 and 11 , my cousin and I were in no position to learn how to drive . We couldn't get in position because we weren't tall enough , but we made it work .
We could barely see over the dash , but Papa God bless him he felt compelled to teach his grandsons how to drive , and so he did . We rode together out into a field where there were no fences and no trees . Papa got out of the truck , moved the seat as far forward as it would go and he said to us don't run over anything . And that was our instructions .
And we said to us don't run over anything and that was our instructions and we didn't , we didn't . I don't think we even stalled the truck very many times . Anyway , my cousin already grew up on a farm and he had , of course , many experiences with machinery that I hadn't yet had .
I just got my first mini bike , but beyond that I didn't know a lot about machinery . But we learned , we learned really well . We also learned from my grandmother , nettie May , who we called Mimaw , and like my grandfather , nettie May was extremely good with machinery and she could drive just any of the same equipment that the men could .
Together , as farmers , their world revolved around early mornings , a big breakfast made from scratch by my grandmother and an unwavering commitment to their land and to their machines . Needless to say , their world wasn't about constantly being in front of a screen , as we are today . Not at all . It was about being hands-on .
It was about faith , it's about courage and it's about knowing what you're doing .
¶ The Farmer's Dependence on Machines
A farmer's livelihood depends on the reliability of the machines the tractors , the planters , the combine , the cotton stripper , all those machines . Yeah , that's our livelihood there , right as farmers . If a machine breaks down and you can't fix it , well , just about everything stops .
Weeks or maybe even months worth of work can become undone by a single mechanical failure . You've got to take care of the equipment . This is something my grandparents taught me . Beyond the machines , they also taught me about the unpredictability of Mother Nature . One year they'd make a money-making crop and do quite well .
Then the next year they'd be on the brink of losing everything because of weather that just didn't go as planned . It was a reminder that no matter how well we prepare , whether we're farmers or motorcycle riders , mother nature is always in charge .
Too much rain , not enough rain , a sudden freeze after a warm spell the unpredicted can change everything in just an instant . And yet , through it all , buddy and Nettie Mae remain steady and strong farmers , holding on to the things that mattered most family resilience , their faith and love for other people . Hopefully , some of that rubbed off .
¶ Lessons Riders Can Learn from Farmers
It's probably safe to say that most of us are not farmers . We don't rise up early in the morning to milk the cows and tend to the crops , but our jobs don't hinge on whether or not the tractor is going to start in the morning . Many of us don't spend much time outdoors .
We spend a lot of time indoors , in front of our screens , working a world far removed from the uncertainty of a farm , I suppose . And yet in our garage , something waits for us , a machine of our own that we do depend on .
Our motorcycles may not be tied to our income necessarily , but they are tied to something just as important our connection with Mother Nature , our passion , our freedom , our sense of adventure , our mental health , maybe . Like a farmer's tractor , our motorcycles require care , oil changes , tire checks , chain adjustments and lubrication .
All these little , small acts of maintenance ensure that when the open road does call , we can answer it without hesitation . I think that we motorcycle riders can learn quite a lot from the lessons of a farmer . Here's just a few things maybe to think about . Respect for the machine .
Farmers depend on their tractors , their plows , all their equipment for their livelihood . They know that proper maintenance is essential for keeping all the tools working , all the machines running , just like the motorcycles that we care for . Taking care of again , the oil changes , the tire inspections and overall upkeep Keep it reliable .
A lot of times some of us find ourselves out in the middle of nowhere , and it's not a place to find out that , uh-oh , I should have taken care of something early on , especially when you're in the middle of nowhere where I like to hang out generally . Most likely our hard-earned money was spent on that motorcycle too . It's a gift in the garage .
It's something that we should take care of . Farmers know also , no matter how well they prepare , weather and unforeseen changes will disrupt the plans .
A sudden drought or early frost can really break up the season , and riders face a similar unpredictability changing road conditions , sudden storms , mechanical issues that require adaptability , to say the least , and a calm that's hard to say . Sometimes .
It's definitely hard to act out a calm , problem-solving mindset Again , especially when we're broken down in the middle of nowhere . Farmers appreciate the outdoors . They spend a lot of their days under the open sky , working in harmony with mother nature and riders too . We experience the world in a way that most people don't .
Sitting in their cars , feeling the warmth of the sun or smelling the fresh rain , smelling the fields after that rain , after the hay has been cut , riding to me , immerses me into the natural world , maybe just as farming does . Farmers often rely , too , on a tight-knit community .
Most of them reach out to each other for advice , for help , for camaraderie , to have dinner together , motorcycle riders too .
We experience a sense of brotherhood or sisterhood out on the road , whether you're out on a group ride or attending a rally or just having a conversation with a stranger at a gas station , riders support and learn from each other , just like farmers do .
In the end , whether you're riding a motorcycle or working the land , the lessons are the same Respect your machine , cherish the outdoors , adapt when you have to . But , most importantly maybe , what makes it unique for us ? On motorcycles , we just embrace the journey . We just embrace the ride .
¶ Embracing the Journey and Dreams
Next time I go for a ride , I'm going to try to be extra thoughtful about one thing , about the fact that owning and riding a motorcycle for me was a dream come true , in the same way that Oliver Douglas his dream came true to become a farmer At some point .
Even as a little kid , I became a motorcycle rider , and I still am , and I am so grateful for that . I know you are too . As always , thank you so much for listening . I wish you peace . I wish you love the Shores , the Shores , listening . I wish you peace . I wish you love .