An Acre of Potatoes

My formative years were spent growing up on a small farm. As a young kid, my first paying job was growing potatoes. At harvest, I got to sell them at Waggs, the grocery store that supplied the surrounding area. After Dad worked up the land, I had almost an acre of potatoes to plant, dust, weed, hill, pick, clean, bag and carry. I thought I would never see the end of that patch, no matter what function I happened to be doing. Rows seemed to go on forever. As I recall it, my strategy was generally never to look back. I would proceed down a row, hoe in hand to the very end. When I finally did turn around I'd face an equally long row all the way back.

My favorite part of the whole process was the day my Dad and I carried those 50 and 100 pound bags of potatoes into Wagg's General Store. My Dad then disappeared and I stood alone in the office with the owner who said, "Those are good looking potatoes this year." And Mr. Brown counted out cash, right into my young extended hand, and said "Thank-you." I'd leave feeling like a million bucks, and knowing that all the hard work was worth it. At that moment, I'd catch myself almost looking forward to next year, just to do it all over again. 

After a long interval of many years, here's what I think I learned.

I was given an opportunity to succeed, profit and contribute.
The hard work was worth it.
I felt like a million bucks because I accomplished it.
I made a contribution to my town.
My Dad was a great man, and a wise parent.
A "Thank-you" from someone you respect can keep you going.

Imagine, all that before I even got to be a teenager. GW


Key Questions:

1. What opportunities do you have to succeed, profit and contribute?

2. Where is your acre of fertile land? Is it in opportunities to serve people, high tech or someplace else? What are you willing to do in order to develop it and nourish it along into a healthy crop?

3. What would be a reward that would create a strong pull for you to succeed? Would it be in the "thank you", the financial reward or in knowing you made a contribution?