My broken arm

I was so horse crazy when I was younger I tried to figure out how to use my horse for everything. I always wished I had a work horse I could use instead of a tractor.

Every fall we had to burn the stubble field after harvest.  I used to get the job of lighting the fire so I took some bailing wire and took some stubble and wrapped it in the baling wire and then I would get on my horse, my brother would light it and I would take off running around the outside of the field starting everything on fire. It worked really well and the fire did not get away as much because it burned back onto its self instead of starting at one end of the field and growing big.

We also raised a lot of sweet corn and dad would make us get the wheelbarrow and take the corn shucks down to the pigs. That got boring really fast so being clever I got this cardboard box and I would fill it and put it on my horse. I would ride backwards and hold the box and my girlfriend would ride on the rump and hold the other end.

We were having fun since now a horse was involved and then here came the dog barking and nipping chasing a cat and off my horse went at a run.  I was laughing but my friend did not ride much. Around the corner we went and she lost her balance and reached up and shoved on me to keep on. Well when I laugh I can’t stay on a horse to save my life and off I flew with the box of corn shucks.  There was an old gas tank laying there and I was going to hit my head so I threw my right arm out to block it and I broke my arm.

Where I live there is not hospital for 30 miles so mom wrapped it and put it in a sling. I was so proud of that sling like it was a honor badge. The next morning off to the doctor we went. The doctor put a cast on it but I wanted my sling back. He said I did not need it but I made me a sling when I got home.

It was a good lessons and has served me well through my life as now I can write either left handed or right handed. I so remember how bad it itched and how bad it stunk when they took it off.  I was terrified when the doctor got the saw out to remove my cast. I thought you aren’t cutting me with that thing. It took him quite a while to convince me that it would not cut me. Thank God for old time doctors that take the time with kids to calm them down.