Repost 2008
The boy who dreams the entire year long for summertime in Willows is happily living his dream. Yesterday he turned sixteen and his Cousin Curtis and Uncle Zane gave him a summer job cleaning their rice dryers. It is a classic dirty job of farming rice. One that many teenage boys on the farm do…the job consist of crawling under the large metal bins and cleaning out the dust and debris that has gathered after drying the rice. Sacha and his cousin had a taste of dirt yesterday. One bin down 20 more to go. It is a valuable birthday gift.
Since it was Sacha's birthday his cousin Sam offered his help. They put on my father's work clothes, it felt strange to see them in his wranglers, button-down work shirts, baseball caps and sporting his red hand-kerchiefs…the boys attire released a flood of memories in me: Will they be like him?
Oh how they were covered with dirt yet they sparkled proudly.
After the photo they asked me if they could run and jump into the ditch, to cool and clean off? "Why not, yeah sure go for it!" I said and then thought, what fun it is to be Huckleberry Finn.
…………….in a split second they turned, ran, kicked off their shoes, peeled off their socks and clothes and blazed a trail to the ditch.
At this point I wondered how far were they going to go… certainly they knew I was behind them, as was my mother.
The trail to happiness is having the freedom to be yourself dirt and all.
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