Tractor Time

America is on the move.  Ever think about how many cars you meet on the road on a daily basis?  Ever figure up how many hours a week you spend behind the wheel? 

It's a little different scenario for me in some aspects.  I don't do much driving right now except behind the wheel of a tractor.  Even then, I have an automated GPS that does all the driving for me.  I just have to turn the tractor around at the end of the row. So, like many of you, I have a lot of time on my hands.

Modern technology has enabled us to make this time productive if we so choose. In my case, since I don't have to keep my eyes on the row, I use my smartphone to stay in touch with other farmers, keep up with commodity markets, and many other useful things. I can listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and radio from all around the country right from my phone.

If we're not careful, however, we allow this time to become endless hours of mindless entertainment. When I first started driving tractors, if the radio worked at all I only got a few local stations. I therefore spent a great deal of time singing to myself, praying, or just thinking. Now, if I don't like what's on the radio, I have endless other "productive" options to occupy the time, and my mind.

In this busy, always-on-the-go society, we have become afraid to be alone with our thoughts. In otherwise still and quiet times, we turn to our gadgets to keep up the noise. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti technology. I'm just saying we will have more to offer others if we will just spend a little more time with ourselves. So I think I'll put down the phone, turn off the radio, and just listen to me for a little while. What about you?