Job As a Ten Year Old on Rawl's Farm

I had a blast feeding Rawl's calves night after night.  I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have Rawl let me feed his calves.  I enjoyed working with the animals.  I enjoyed taking responsbility for the animals.  Rawl helped correct my feeding of hay and grain to make sure I was not feeding too much or too little.

At the end of a week's feeding of the calves, Rawl came into the calf barn, where I was feeding the calves.  He asked how I liked feed the calves.  He asked if I would be interested in continuing to do it.  He told me that he was busy with his other farming activities, and wondered if I would be willing to continue feeding the calves in the afternoon and morning for the foreseeable future.  I was delighted that he would be willing to let me continue to feed the calves.  The next question was stunning to me.  He asked me if I would work for him.  He told me he was willing to pay me $40 a month to come feed the calves in the afternoon and mornings.  Wow!  I could not believe my luck.  I was head over heels.  Not only would I get to feed the calves, but I would get paid for it as well.

At age 10, I had never had a job before.  I had mowed my parents' lawn for 25 cents, but I had never really earned any kind of substantial discretionary money.  I didn't know how to spend money.   I had a savings account at Davis County Bank.  I had put $5.00 in the account in order to open it..  The whole money thing was a mind swirl for me.  It would take awhile to process.

While I certainly understand Rawl's needing help, what Rawl did for me, in giving me, as a ten year old lad, a chance to take on a significant responsibility and to give me both personal and economic rewards for doing so, was one of the most significant life impacting events of my entire life.  I would learn many things about farming, personal responsibility, animal husbandry, care of animals, kindness, hard work, and a sleep schedule that has never recovered.  Working on Rawl's farm gave me a work ethic that kids today rarely have an opportunity to learn.  Most kids, even when I was young, eschewed responsibilty.  They would rather play and have fun, or sleep in.

Working for Rawl, I learned about hard work.  I learned about being dependable and reliable.  At age ten, for the next couple of years, I would work for about an hour in the mornings and an hour in the late afternoon.  I would get up and go feed the calves before school.  After school, I would go feed the calves as well.  During the summer I would do the same.  I had to be there every morning and every night.  Rawl would give me Sunday night off, which was very kind of him.  As I grew older, bigger, and stronger, I was able to help with field work.  Through most of my junior high school  years and all of my high school years, my summers were full of work.  I would work from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., with an hour break for breakfast and an hour break for lunch.  I would only do that six days a week, resting up on Sunday.

I suspect today that Rawl may have been called out on child labor laws.  I look back and saw the privilege I had to learn, and grow.  I scratch my head when I see current laws that "protect" children from such "exploitation and abuse."  I saw it as a distinct privilege.  I would do it over again.  I wish my kids would have had similar opportunities.

Maybe on Grandpa's Farm, my potential future grandkids or neighbor kids will have an opportunity to learn and grow under my tutelage.  Rawl was an important mentor in my life.  Perhaps I will have the opportunity to pass it on to others.