Homecoming

After a few years of living and working in Chicago, David Peterson decided to take some vacation time and return to his parents' house in Princeton, Nebraska. Princeton is a small farming community of 2,000 people in the middle of the Nebraska corn belt. It was one of those towns where everybody knew everyone else and kind of looked after one another. In fact, some people in town didn't even lock their doors at night. It certainly is one of those places off of the beaten path.

David was picked up by his father at the airport in Omaha in his old '84 Chevy pickup. Even though Mr. Peterson was a well off farmer who could afford practically any car he wanted, he still drove his old Chevy. "She ain't failed me yet. I don't see no reason to do away with her" is what Mr. Peterson would tell his farmer friends and Bulger's Cafe when they met for coffee every Tuesday morning. "Peterson, you rich dog, go buy yourself a new pickup" is what Harvey Holt, Mr. Peterson's best friend since grade school would often kid him. Yet Mr. Peterson would just chuckle and smile. After David shook hands with his father at the airport (Mr. Peterson was of the old school where men didn't hug men, even thier own sons) he asked, "Dad, do you still have that old blue Chevy." "Sure do, Davy. I'm gonna drive her until the wheels give out" Mr. Peterson responded.

On the drive back to the Peterson farm, Mr. Peterson was quizzing his son on his work in Chicago. David was a junior partner in the Ganz, Frazier, and Howe law firm. David's specialty was disability law. "So how's your firm treatin' you, Davy?" Mr. Peterson asked. "They're treating me all right, I'm moving up slowly but surely." To which his father replied, "Why, heck, I'm surprised they ain't made you a partner or whatever as many hours you put in at the office. Ma tries to call you once a week and you're usually still at the office." David answered, "It's a long process. I've been with the firm for only four years and they usually require you to be there for seven years before they even consider you." This conversation went on as such the entire two hour drive back to Princeton.

As soon as the Petersons pulled into the driveway, Oskie (the family black lab) came out to greet them. Oskie ran up to David and proceeded to like his hands while looking up him with a glint of excitement in her eyes. "I'm surprised that she even remembers me. She was was only two years old when I went to Chicago for law school." Mr. Peterson chuckled and said, "Ol' Oskie, she doesn't forget anyone. Especially family. She knows you and still loves you. Especially when you used to scratch behind her ears. She still loves that. She's gettin' old but she's as sharp as ever." When David and his father walked into the house, they were greeted by the pleasent smell of Mrs. Peterson baking a cherry pie and making dinner. "Hello, mother. It's great to see you again." "Why David, I see that you've lost weight since you were last here. I bet you're starving off of that skimpy city food. It's high time for you to have a real meal for a change." To which David answered, "Yeah, mom. I always do enjoy your cooking. That is something I haven't found in Chicago. I certainly can't cook like that for myself."

After saying Grace, the Peterson family sat down to a dinner of chicken fried steak, gravy, and cherry pie. "Mom, do you still grow your own cherries?" David asked. "Sure do. Those trees are going as strong as ever but this year's crop wasn't as good as the last couple. I'm quite disappointed with this year's cherries." David answered, "No matter. This pie is as good as I remember when I was still living at home. I still remember when I was ten years old, Dad and I planted those trees. Remember that, Dad?" Mr. Peterson replied, "Of course I remember planting those trees. I remember that you tripped on one of the holes that we dug and almost twisted your ankle." "Ah, Dad" David said, "You have always had a good mind for details. I'm surprised that you've remember that all these years later." Mr. Peterson answered, "I may be old but I ain't lost all my marbles yet. Besides, you come from a good gene pool when it comes to smarts from both sides of your family. You make us proud, Davy." Coming from Mr. Peterson that was saying a great deal since he didn't hand out compliments very often.

During his time back at his boyhood home, David helped Mr. Peterson with the daily farm chores. "I see that big city livin' ain't made you too soft" Mr. Peterson told David after a typical sunrise to sunset day of farm labor. "You taught me well, Dad. I still think that I couldn't have made it in Chicago if it wasn't for the hard work you made us do when we were kids. I think that you instilled in us at an early age the work ethic necessary to succeed at an early age." Mr. Peterson replied, "Yes and that is why your mom and I did it that way. I needed the help on the farm before the farm was doing really well and you and your brothers were real good help. Even though this farm is doing really well, I still do much of my own labor to keep me fresh and in the know. Plus it helps when my two hired men seeing me doing the same jobs they are. They can't complain that I work them too tough that way." So on it went that night around the kitchen table.

Finally the time came for David to go back to Chicago. After kissing his mom goodbye and scratching Oskie's ears for the last time, he and his father got in that beat up '84 Chevy pickup truck and drove back to the airport. David didn't talk much the trip back to the airport because he was in a comtemplative state of mind. "I didn't realize how much I missed not being back on the farm. I never thought that I would miss that place, but I do. I miss the change of seasons. I see that dad's content to earn his pay by working the land. Since everyone back in Chicago earns their living by their wits and not their sweat, they have no idea what they're missing. Nor do they get to see the results of their cumulative work." These are the things that David was thinking even after he boarded the plane and the plane took off.

As the farmlands of Nebraska were fading as the plane climbed higher as it flew towards Chicago, David thought back on his time at the Peterson farm and his growing up on the farm. "Dad was absolutely right" David thought as the plane flew towards Chicago, "I may leave the farm but the farm is never going to leave me." Those were the exact words that Mr. Peterson told David when he left home for college the first time. They were also the same words that Mr. Peterson told his son before they parted at the airport.