Valuable Lessons from My Father

Valuable Lessons from my Father

August 30, 2013

As I’ve attempted to put into writing some of my life’s experiences, one of the interesting differences between the days of my youth and the present time is my daily routine.

Even now, I have a hard time believing that we lived through such rigorous schedules. Times certainly have changed!

Back then, we were out of bed by 5:00 A.M. and as soon as Dad could urge us into our clothing and out the door, we were on our way to the corral to begin our morning chores.

If it was during the haying time in the summer season, it was important to water and feed the horses first, so they would be ready to work. Then an avalanche of chores was attached.

We had to milk the cows, separate the milk, feed the separated milk to the pigs, and feed the chickens. Dad usually had my brother and I start those chores while he began irrigating. It seemed that he knew when to return…just as the last cow was milked. (Just a child’s thoughts of course).

At the completion of the chores, Mom always had a delicious breakfast ready. We growing boys could hardly wait for that. There’s nothing better for the appetite than three hours of work before breakfast.

After breakfast, we were off to harness the horses and begin our day’s work consisting of mowing, raking and hauling hay from the fields. It was hard work but very rewarding to look back at the end of the day and see what you had accomplished.

To this day, I still enjoy that. A day’s work wasn’t complete until we drove the cows from the pasture to the corral to be milked again. Our supper was usually bread and milk. We loved it!

I can’t forget to give homage to our great horses for the service they rendered to our support. I think of those two horses with pure gratitude. They were so honest in giving of themselves.

They were well trained. They knew when to stop and when to go on voice command. They were so patient and whatever we asked of them, they were willing to do. I’m sure they would rather have been in the pasture.

We found that when we turned them loose in the pasture, they were reluctant to let us catch them again. Imagine that! I felt the same when Dad called me so early in the morning. I appreciated those horses for the service they provided.

Nearly every working day, we had something for them to do. If it wasn’t haying, we pulled fire wood for winter storage or if we needed them to drive cows, they were good for that.

My uncle liked to borrow one of them for the 4th of July celebration to enter the community horse race. It would have been hard to survive without them.

It’s life’s trials and training that polishes us. Our attitude of how we accept our bufferings determine what we become.

One of my greatest blessings came from my father teaching me how to work hard. This one value has provided food and clothing and the necessities of life for my family all these years.

Responsibility to Give Back

Responsibility to give back

August 26, 2013

I feel that any success we may gain in life is usually accomplished on the shoulders of someone who has gone before us. I have to be very humble when I speak of my success.

I realize and appreciate those who have paved the way before me. I remember the great desire I had when I was young to be a heavy equipment operator. I just loved to be around big machinery.

The awesome power of the huge engines accelerating and the black smoke exploding skyward, made my adrenalin flow. My problem was… how would I get to sit in the seat?

I remember one early morning traveling to my job, I noticed a lot of dust coming down the graveled road toward me. I could see that someone was in a big hurry so I pulled to the side of the road to let them pass by.

As the vehicle came closer, I recognized the traveler to be someone I knew. When he saw me, he stopped and announced that he had just quit his job. He was angry with his boss and complained how hard it was to work for him.

Here was my opportunity! He had just quit a job that I would give my right arm for.Instead of driving straight to my work, I stopped by to see if there was any chance that I could fill this newly opened position.

As I approached this mean, contemptuous boss, I was shaking in my boots. I said, “Sir, I understand your operator just quit.” He said, ” Yes, he did.” I told him that I would like to apply for his job.

He asked me if I could operate a bulldozer  and I told him that I had never run one. Then he asked me if I could operate a road grader and I told him that I had never had any experience operating a road grader, however I would like to learn.

For a long period of time, he looked down at his feet as he moved the sand back and forth with the toe of his boot. After what seemed like an hour to me, he said, “Be here at 6:30 in the morning.”

I excitedly shook his hand and thanked him and I vowed that he would never be sorry. I’m sure the next four days he could have been very sorry. I wasn’t much of an operator, but he stood by me.

That man taught me how to take care of the equipment and how to operate every piece of equipment on the job. He was mean and he was tough, but he gave me a chance. When he was finished with me, I knew the right way to operate equipment.

A special reward came to me on the last day of the job. He came to me…this mean, cantankerous,man came to me, shook my hand and said, “Son, you have done well. You are a fine operator.”

I’ll never forget that moment, or that man who gave me a chance and stuck by me through thick and thin. ” My hat is off to you, Buck Rose. Thank you”.

This good opportunity that was given to me has made me prone to give this same opportunity to other young men who have a desire to learn.

I enjoy setting them upon the seat of a piece of equipment and watching their pride swell within them, always remembering my first chance. I treasure the memories of so many young men and our working relationship. Great memories!

Today as I start down a new and foreign path, I have already found new mentors that are taking me under their wings and teaching me the ropes and I hope to be able to do the same once again in this new endeavor.

The Good Ole Days

The Good Ole Days

August 26, 2013

It’s my quest to find something to write about today that might be interesting to you who haven’t lived without electricity. I was given a history book that had been written recently.

This history was written in celebration of 75 years since our local power company had been organized. Seventy five years…that was two years prior to my birth. I really appreciated getting this book and the great memories that it has awakened.

My family was one of those farm families who lived before electricity arrived on the scene. In fact we experienced that life style twice. Our first experience was before the power lines had been constructed in the rural areas.

I remember the REA, (Rural Electric Association), co-op that was organized by the farmers in an effort to get power lines to rural areas.

Times were tough before electricity. About the only cash flow came from each family having a small dairy. Selling cream or milk gave the farmers a little money to exist on.

We milked our small herd of cows by hand. I remember that we had seven or eight cows to milk every morning and night. The only method we had to keep the milk cool was to set the 10 gallon milk can in the irrigation ditch.

The history book reminded me of the effort of volunteering neighbors who visited with each family and collected a $5.00 signup fee to receive the power provided.

Back then, even that much money was hard to come by. Many lost faith  that power would ever get to them. We were so excited when the labor crews started building up our lane.

The first thing Dad purchased was electric milkers. How happy we were to just slip them on the cows and sit back and watch the milk flow! Happy days!

After a couple years, my dad sold that farm and we moved to a more remote area. He felt that a bigger farm would be more of an advantage to our family.

However, we moved away from the electricity again and back into primitivism. It was hard for us to return to using gas lamps and having to milk the cows by hand. We were so far from civilization that we couldn’t sell our milk on a daily basis.

This made it essential to separate the cream from the milk. Cream is easier to preserve without an electric cooler. Our chores included separating the cream from the milk using a hand cranked separator twice each day.

You can imagine our interest in getting electricity constructed to our home again. We were so excited and happy when we first saw the power poles being placed up our road once again! The gift of electricity is such a blessing. It’s just like stepping from darkness into light!

I’m actually glad for that struggle. It tested us and tempered our will to do what ever it takes to survive. It helped me to know that it doesn’t get any better than this!

Being Neighborly Wherever You Are

Being Neighborly Wherever You Are

August 22, 2013

Yesterday my neighbor stopped by. The first thing out of his mouth was, “Where is your baler?” He, being such a good neighbor, had noticed that my hay had been cut and should have been baled already.

I explained that my baler was broken down and I was waiting for a  replacement part. He replied, “You know I have a baler and I would be glad to come and bale your hay for you”. There was no doubt.. I knew he would…he is that kind of man.

My life is filled with good, kind, people. It doesn’t get any better than this. I think back through my life. I have had an abundance of friends and family around me who are the spice of my life. Life would be hard without them.

I remember a sultry hot day in Midvale Idaho. My crew and I were installing telephone cable in that community. The heat was almost unbearable. A station wagon laden with small children stopped by.

A young mother stepped out of the automobile and motioned for us to come to her. She said, ” I noticed you men working in this heat and felt so sorry for you.

I have a cooler filled with popsicles and I’d like to share with you.” Isn’t it so great that there are such wonderful, thoughtful, people in the world. Everywhere I’ve traveled, I’ve met good people.

I feel that we should be looking for the opportunity to help someone in need. A good man once said, “When you are in the service of your fellow men, you are in the service of you God.” I truly believe that.

Until tomorrow, keep a lookout for someone you can lift and bring joy to their lives.

Never, Never, Never Give Up

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER Give Up (Churchill)

August 13, 2013

I can feel that it is going to be a great day! I’m excited for the future and that is always a good way to start a new day. It’s interesting how attitude is such a deal maker…or breaker…whatever the case may be.

When I was a young boy, my father spent a lot of his time teaching me how to ride a horse. He taught me that the first rule to riding a horse is, if you fall off, you need to get back on.

Now!  not later… while it still hurts and while the horse is convinced that he has won the battle. A decision to get back on immediately has two positive outcomes.

First, you let the horse think, “Hey, it doesn’t do any good for me to buck. It just wasted my energy! I know he’s gonna get back on. I might as well carry my load and be a good horse!”

Second, by getting back on, you have faced your fear and you become the winner!  Mark Twain once said, “Do the things you fear the most, and death of fear is certain.”

What a valuable lesson this has been to me in my life’s work. We all have our ups and downs. It’s important and empowering to keep getting back up. This is my thought of the day.

HELLO WORLD!!  Let’s go see who we can help today!

Taylor Thayne

Welcome Changes, Embrace New Beginnings

Welcome Changes and Embrace New Beginnings

August 11, 2013

Today is a great day in the life of Taylor Thayne. It’s the first day of the rest of my life at this point. It seems to me that a day of this magnitude has to be met with a lot of anticipation.

A knowledge of everything I have experienced in the past becomes so valuable to launch me into the future. I feel so prepared and so energized as I remember where I came from.

My life spans so many great experience. I’m so grateful to be able to remember the days of my youth, the seemingly hard times.

We didn’t know any different, and we thought life was good, at least I did.  I’m sure Mom and Dad knew times were tough. Our home lacked all of the modern conveniences, no electricity, no telephone, no indoor plumbing.

Our water was carried from a spring, in buckets. We had very limited access to  automobiles. We mostly used horses and wagons to get around. We had plenty to eat and we were happy.

The world has evolved in mind blowing ways. I’ve been a part of so many changes since my days as a youth.

My memories of  herding cattle on the back of pony to having the world at my finger tips. It has been an amazing journey.

I can remember our first telephone. We enjoyed our first telephone and shared a common line with eight of our close neighbors. We had to get up early and stay up late at night to get our turn on the phone.

Time keeps marching on and I eventually became a contractor, installing telephone lines across America. It has been amazing to me to witness the growth of our nation  as communication technology has literally exploded.

I have personally been involved in installing thousands of miles of telephone cable, first copper cable, then fiber optics, and then came cell phones across the air  waves. I spent my life’s work looking down….down into the trenches where the cable lay.

I’m excited to be a part of the journey. Now in my older age, I’m excited to enjoy the products of my life’s work.

It’s just amazing to me that I can communicate with the world in micro seconds. It doesn’t get any better than this…or does it?

Six months ago, I turned on the computer for the first time. Two months later, I purchased my first smart phone.

At the age of 73, my new endeavors are just beginning. I know I have life to give, services to render. I have friends to add to my long list of diamonds that I’ve gathered across the world.

My joy lies in the people I know. My goal is to know more people.

I’ve joined with a company who knows how to make all this technology work. This is what I need now, a lot of smart people around me.

Come join with me. Let’s make the next years the greatest yet. Come join Empower Network with me and we will take some action towards changing the world. Click the button below to join my team!

Taylor Thayne