I really am a peacemaker at heart and in my mind I always have been, despite what others may say. I like everyone to get along but people will have their personal views, likes and dislikes, in various ways that are beyond my control. I accept that.
Coke or Pepsi –
What causes our preferences to develop? Did the local corner store only carry Coca-Cola products? Was Pepsi the chosen beverage of the household? Is the Coke vs. Pepsi debate generational – because it’s what your parents and their parents before them drank? As recent as 2022, it appears that Coca-Cola products are leading that race (as quoted on http://www.statista.com). I am doing this research while I sip on an icy cold Diet Coke.
Green vs Red – the familiar tractor debate
Some farmers appear to clearly favour one over the other. John Deere or Case IH. There is nothing wrong with that! One former neighbour even went so far as to buy 45 gallons of John Deere green paint and use it to cover the blue exterior of his Ford tractor that he proudly used on the farm and at local plowing matches. That’s an exceptional kind of loyalty.
I don’t recall ‘brand loyalty’ being as significant when I was a child. In my recollections, my Dad would buy a tractor according to his needs and the availability at the time. We owned a rainbow of brands of tractors; Nuffield, Massey Ferguson, David Brown and then, John Deere. Some of my uncles owned Cockshutt, Kubota and Oliver, over the years. Some of these classic gems are still in the family to this day, if even for display purposes only. Now, the next generation of my own family keep their John Deere tractors at the ready for plowing matches, moving snow and cash crop farming. Not to be outdone, there are a few nice and shiny red Farmall antique tractors tuned and set for the next tractor pull! They all make me proud of my agricultural heritage!
(Come back another day for my thoughts on plowing matches and tractor pulls.)
Dinner or Supper? What do you call it?
Being raised in a farming family that sometimes included uncles and cousins in the work crew, at noon we were fed a large meal. Meat and potatoes and all the fixings with pie for dessert. That was dinner to us. Our night meal that came after the evenings chores were done was then, and is still, called supper. That is very clear to me. The part that I find confusing is when people invite me for dinner and I knock on their door at 11:30am to very confused faces. Dinner is a meal served at noon, to me. Now, add to the confusion of taking a lunch to school or work. Seems to me that the confusion comes with the noon meal.
To be sure, if I am inviting friends over for a large evening meal, the invitation always comes with a distinct time (e.g., Come anytime after 4pm and we will eat for 6pm). Clear communication helps to alleviate any misunderstandings about what to call the meal or what time to arrive. Just enjoy your time together!
Credits; Thanks go to my younger brother, Mark. His wisdom, knowledge and memories far surpass my own.
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