Bales Don't Buck Themselves

Chapter 11

Barn Fulton County

There are those who grew up learning to do a job and not be a slacker. Mark Greene grew into being a working man now he is building a life away from the farm. Eldon and Mark 1970

Everyone says there'll come a day

When I'll walk alongside of him

Yes, just to know him Is to love love love him

– Phil Spector To Know Him is To Love Him Trio – Parton, Ronstadt, Harris

Bales Don't Buck Themselves

“Water is working. Cows should be good.”

“Glad you could come back now that you are a college man, Mark”

“College man for a week, it’s not a long drive glad to help round them up.”

“Your dad and I are discussing a partnership on our cowherds. Jim’s gone I’m a little old to fight through another bad winter every morning. Max helped me last winter. If we do, we will combine the baling operation next summer. Will you be back to run it? “

“Our semester ends the first part of May; I should be here before the first cutting.”

“Jim said you always bust your tail on the rack or in the barn. I told him to put fewer bales in the big barn that last year. You stacked it so tight I saw a beam crack.”

“I just try to do a good job.”

“You work very hard and the crew always does a good job when you’re here. You must be a good ramrod.”

“Ah, Mr. Parker I really don’t like being in charge. I just try to work harder than everyone else and figure they can’t complain when I tell them what to do. Might as well stack it right.”

“Are you playing football in college?"

“The university plays big time football; I would have to be a lot bigger or a lot faster maybe both. “

“Maybe you are too busy with protests. Can they draft you?”

“I have a 2-S student deferment; I can finish college. I will get assigned a lottery number next summer. I don’t think it can be lower than this year, which was 24. I think everyone knows we should leave, ‘the love it or leave it’ folks just don’t want to admit we were wrong. I am not sure protests accomplish much. Those shootings in Ohio and Mississippi maybe they shocked everyone. I know I was amazed how one of our teachers was so shaken by Kent State, he was my least favorite coach in football. He was very saddened by it. No, I’m a student until my four years are done.”

“Jim’s son is over there now. No one says much, but from what I can tell it is a tough place. America is so split and the kids some of them are so out of control. Can’t tell the boys from the girls with their hair down to their, well their behinds. I know you Greene’s keep your words clean.”

“I did not grow out my flattop until the last year of high school. I might never get the hay dust out, if my hair was that long."

"Why did you grow it out?'

"Time to stop being stubborn it's the 70's now. Even if it was hippie long, I don’t suppose anyone would think I am a girl. I know how divided some parents and their kids are over everything. They often can’t get past trying to prove each other wrong. I have a friend he and his folks argue. Hair, how he dresses, music, the war, all of it. They’re very much like each other really, if not in hair styles and music choices.”

“I hope we get out of it, haven’t solved anything I can tell. My son doesn’t say much, but I don’t think they’ve heard from my granddaughter in a long time. I think they had big fights like your friend and his folks. I don’t ask because I don’t want to butt in. I’ve always enjoyed talking with you, even when you first started helping. How old were you when you first started bucking bales?”

“The first year I helped I was thirteen, but I wasn’t much force then.”

“I read you are a state scholar or something, must be pretty smart.”

“I got good test scores, not always the best student. Now Terry Hall, he is the top student in our class, got all A’s still did work beyond what was asked for. State scholar is just your name recognized for doing well on the standardized test, there’s no money awarded. I’ve earned the year’s tuition baling hay, my folks are going to pay dorm fees. Otherwise it’s just loans even my folks own too much to qualify for grants. A private school would cost more.”

“Good luck this year, maybe we’ll stop falling apart as a country. Can’t believe you are not big enough to play football.”

“If I was much much faster, I could be a running back or a linebacker, but I never had much speed. In every other position the players are taller and bigger than me. I wish I could play more, I liked it. I had a good final game, evened up some scores. I never got hurt. I’ll be happy watching from now on. “

“I enjoy your singing at church”

“Never sure about singing, I am best in a choir not really a solo voice. I do like singing hymns”

“We think we’ll call the cow operation Parker and Greene or Greene and Parker, what do you think?”

"Parker and Greene sounds right. I guess we’re not out West, no Lonesome Bar Ranch or some more cowboy movie name.”

“You need a ride Mark?”

“No, the truck is just down at the gate. I left it, and Dad dropped me off on the back side. I made sure we didn’t leave any cows or calves in the pasture. I’ll see you when I’m home on break maybe.”

“Thank you, Mark and for the day of the accident. You were a cool head until the ambulance got here.”

“I don’t know, wish we could have done something more. OK bye.”