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Aberdeen MS | As a person that from age 8 (when mother remarried and we moved to the farm) until my step dad went to the nursing home when I was 51, I never heard those words either unless I spoke them. He never even that I know of said them to his partner brother.
"Thank you" or "good job" were words I never heard from him spoken to me in that time frame. He did take advantage of my father's death to the fact if he adopted my brother and myself, the SSI checks would cease for us both. To that, both of us had to buy our own clothes and school supplies through HS graduation. After that we were 18 anyway.
After college, "we really need the help on the farm!!!" got me to return instead of finding employment with my degree (An Sci ruminant nutrition). for that I got a couple hundred a month for "beer money", a roof, and food. My other needs could be supplied by my savings left over from SSI payments. Back in that day, $160/quarter for tuition at NDSU was all it cost.
When I took over his brother's place in the partnership (he retired), a couple loads of grain in the fall seemed sufficient to him for my wages. To support my family of 5 I worked a full time job 6 PM - 2 AM, if I wasn't ready to get dirty by 8 AM, i heard about it. The last 8 years before he went into the nursing home, he farmed from the car when it was time to be in the field.
He was adamant that even when in the nursing home, he had to "run" the farm. But those last 8 yrs the only management decision he made was when to sell grain. To that it was which day to sell off 100% of the previous yrs crops. Both beans and corn.
I feel your pain! Even when he had a beef with my brother over something, instead of talking to him, I got the speech and the chewing. | |
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Farming with dad.
