Apparently the old farm house was on a bit of a hill. It also had a detached garage/shed/cow milking...place. This building was built into the side of the hill and had two levels so that the top level opened directly onto a higher part of the hill and the lower level to a lower part of the hill (next to an orchard, or maybe just an apple tree or something). I really only have one memory of being in the lower part where I understand they milked the cows (I have to say, the fact that cows were milked in there is something that is in my mind and I have no idea how it got there. Basically, I may very well have made it up but it does make the story cooler somehow, as opposed to my explanation just now...). It's understandable why I would remember this particular time in the milking shed. Why, you ask. Because when I was in there I found these:
Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "that just looks like an ab roller exerciser thing and a gear." Well, to the untrained eye, yes. But, first of all, I'll have you know that there may have actually been two more wheels (but definitely not three because I know it added up to less than four) and possibly more than one gear, my memory on those details is a bit sketchy. Second of all, any kid can tell you that when you have a couple of wheels and some gears you've got about 90 percent of sweet GO-CART! The excitement of the possibility of tearing around the yard/neighborhood/city/world with reckless abandon, leaving everyone in the dust, and never having to walk again got my mind to racing (no pun intended (seriously, I didn't even notice until I read over it again)). All I needed was the last 10 percent:
- another wheel (I remember needing at least one more wheel, that's why I know I had less than four)
- a steering wheel
- maybe some sort of frame
- the rest of the engine (already got the gear part so I don't need to worry about that)
- ... that's about it.
Unfortunately, I guess I just didn't quite have the resources to push through that last 10 percent or, it was taking longer than my four minute attention span. Too bad though, that go-cart probably could have put me down the path to a rally car racer by now...dang it!
3 comments:
Man! You totally coulda been a race car driver! There definitely were some cows that got milked in that barn back in the day. I do remember you being all sorts of excited about the idea of go garts. I don't remember the gears and stuff. But then, I don't remember a lot of stuff :0)
Everything seems possible when you are a kid. It is all so clear.
A wheel, a gear.. practically a roadster right there for the taking!
Too bad that's a little like life. When you are young you think anything is possible as you get older you start to think it's not--maybe it's true and maybe it's not, but think how empowered we all would be if we could hang on to the idea that anything is possible just a little bit longer...you still could be racer!
Post a Comment