Looks or works

It's been years ago when I was using my Massey 135 to mow and rake and then bale our hay. It seemed like it was 120 degrees in the shade, and it seemed almost unbearable. I was bouncing around on the tractor in the heat, when I got the idea to make a make-shift umbrella or shade on my tractor. So I bent a piece of half inch rebar in a square about 3 by 3 feet, welded an upright on the square, fashioned a way of attaching it to the fenders of the tractor and then covered it with a piece of sign tarp. I used zip ties to attach the sign tarp to the rebar. It didn't look like much, but it worked. It took the better part of an hour, and I was back baling hay.

I have thought of redoing it every year, but for whatever reason I just haven't taken the time to make it look better. It functions as well as a fancy one, but simply lacks looks. It doesn't bother me in the least that it looks crude, but there are times when the opinions or criticism of others makes me consider redoing it. But it all boils down to the opinion of others versus the function of the shade.

It's kind of like a muzzleloader I built probably 15 to 20 years ago. I bought a chunk of curly maple wood, the barrel, lock and trigger. Then there were various screws and such that I needed, so I bought them. The barrel came with a hooked breach for a Hawken type tang, so I made the tang from metal like I wanted. The muzzle loader was a fun project, and I've had a blast punching .54 holes in paper targets, but the wedge attaching the barrel to the stock has always been loose. So after losing one of the two wedges, I simply wrap some plastic electrician tape around the stock and over the wedge. It works. Doesn't look like much, but it works. Maybe someday I'll fix it and lose the tape, but don't hold your breath. Again, if I change it, one of the reasons behind the change will be what others think.

So how much of what we do is because of what others think? Probably more than we want to admit. When Marge dresses for church many times, she will wonder what is acceptable dress or frankly what do others think should be worn to church? Blue jeans or dress pants? It used to be a suit and tie was church attire for men. It was expected attire. Today there is no question as to what I'm wearing. It will be a pair of bibs. I try not to offend anyone, but bibs is what I wear.

So much of what we do today is because of our neighbors. Our neighbor buys a new truck, or should I say, they are buying the new truck for the next seven years. Ours works perfect, but the years have taken the new off it, so we entertain the thought of a new truck. And the thought comes in our head that the neighbor probably thinks we drive an old junker. Not just what the neighbor is thinking, but what we think the neighbor is thinking.

And frankly this may be the whole crux of the issue. We are going through life thinking about or trying to guess what the neighbor is thinking. Heck, he may be thinking he wished he had my pickup and no payments for seven years. Someone may be wishing they'd worn bibs and left the tie in the closet. Or in Marge's case, they may be wishing they'd worn blue jeans.

We honestly have enough concerns with our own problems and bumps in the road without inventing some junk trying to figure out what the neighbor is thinking. And if it really concerns you, then walk up and look them in the eye and ask them what they really think of my rebar shade on my Massey 135. They'll probably ask, "What are you talking about?"