Farming in the City

Here's a little story I had the pleasure of witnessing.

I have a friend. Her name is Angie. She grew up on a farm near Popejoy, Iowa. Popejoy has a population of 70. Each year, the people from Popejoy and all of their lineage gather for Popejoy Days. It is called this even though it only lasts for one day.

Angie has a brother, Jeff, that is married and lives in Kansas City. He has two children- Sean (3), and Rachel (8 mos). Sean is a 'city boy', but he has a deep love for tractors that makes Grandpa Don's his favorite destination.

The highlight of Popejoy Days this year was a raffle. The prizes included various amounts of cash with the grand prize of a tractor. Not a huge tractor you can imagine plowing up a field, but a small tractor, about 4 feet tall that's good for dragging things around.

Angie's entire family bought raffle tickets. Probably 50-80 tickets between them. Angie had some, Jeff, Sean- even Rachel- everyone was up for the prizes. Sean kept asking to sit on the tractor. Angie humored him and told him that even HE could win that tractor- and if he did, he could sit on it whenever he wanted!

I don't think a 3-year-old knows what 'could' means. So Sean thought that the tractor was his. Now he wanted to go and sit on HIS tractor. Jeff was not happy with Ang. How in the world would they tell him that the tractor was not his??

So they drew the winner.

And Sean won.

The 3-year-old owner was not surprised or impressed when his name was called-- the tractor had been his for awhile now! He marched right up and climbed aboard. It couldn't have gone to a more deserving boy- city or otherwise.