[AT] Old tractors and old men

[Dave]

About 40 years ago my wife and I were moving to a new location about 35 miles away from where we lived. Not wanting to pay a realtors 6% commission, I simply got out a 4X8 sheet of plywood and spray painted HOUSE FOR SALE on it and put it in the front yard. Several days later there was a knock at the front door and an “elderly gentleman” (probably about my age now) was there when I answered it. In a gentle voice he asked “Is your horse for sale” Trying not to laugh I answered “No sir, the sign says HOUSE for sale.” he smiled and said, Yes, I know what the sign says, but I thought you might be selling that horse out back as well. I used to ride and thought it would be good to have another horse.” With some surprise I asked him “Your not going to start riding again, are you?” He smiled and softly said, “Oh no, I’m getting too old for that, but my wife died last spring, and a man needs something to feed.”
	Dave

> On Feb 5, 2017, at 7:16 AM, Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> On Sat, Feb 4, 2017 at 10:10 PM, Herb Metz <metz-h.b at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> When I was 15 or 16, I remember Dad telling a carpenter cousin that doctors
>> were now telling retiring farmers (many farmers in KS at that time) to
>> "stay
>> busy"; their prior advice had been "they had worked hard all of their life,
>> so sit down and enjoy retirement and take it easy"; unfortunately many of
>> those farmers were being buried a few years later.
>> 
> 
> Herb, the advice still offered by my 95 year old stepfather, taken from his
> 96 year old father, when people ask his secret to longevity, is "just keep
> moving".
> 
> SO