FirstLook

Paul Honnold, Reader

I cannot express how much I enjoyed the illustration from 1962 [featured in The Progressive Farmer, Feb. 2018 issue]. Having been very young back then, it is new to at least two adult generations of farmers, me, a young farm boy in ’62, and also our son’s generation.

I cannot count the many times my dad looked to the skies in late July for that much-needed rain, and I, too, 30 years later. When it came, just like your farmer pictured, those warm droplets coming down were so welcome. Yes, I have stood out and thanked the Lord for those rains, as I know many other readers have also.

In this day and age of computers, GPS, drones, grid-sampling and almost self-milking dairies, we very well could lose some of the spiritual past generations depended on. We seem to give credit nowadays to the technology in the bag or on the screen when our yields are good. 2017 is an example. The seed companies could not stop sharing how their tech pulled most of us through.

Well, that is partially true. I saw my dad (down to that blue work shirt and straw hat) in that 1962 drawing amazed and thankful. I much prefer to give our Creator His due recognition, also. Being amazed and thankful is good, and something we should all be looking to do when we can.

Thank you for sharing, and please, we need more reminders of the past and its great contributions.

Sincerely,
Paul Honnold, Kansas, IL

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