The Day I Ran Over My Dad

Perched high above the ground with my small hands wrapped around the steering wheel, I was about to learn to drive our red farm tractor for the very first time.

Little did I know a near disaster was about to happen.

I was 10 years old and our family had just moved from Vancouver onto a 10-acre farm in Bradner just in time for the haying season.

My dad gathered my uncles, my brother, and me to tackle the field of hay ready for harvest.

Due to us being short on supply of strong men, I was deemed the designated tractor driver and was eager to take on this big responsibility.

Did I have any idea of what I was doing? Nope, they didn’t have tractors in the city.

But I was willing to learn to avoid disappointing my dad.

He instructed me to put my foot on the clutch and the brake and fired up the old beast. What happened next was one of the most frightening moments of my life… and my dad’s.

I distinctly heard him say, “Take your foot off the brake.”

What he actually said was, “DON’T take your foot off the brake.”

My foot came off and the tractor lurched forward, bolting ahead and barrelling down the field, heading straight toward blackberry bushes and a barbed wire fence.

I looked back in horror and saw my Dad laying on the ground.

I had run over him.

Jolting forward caught him off guard and he was pulled under the big tire as it rolled right over his chest.

I could see everyone tending to him and as horrified as I was, I had another problem to tend to – I had no idea how to stop! Dad hadn’t gotten that far in his instructions.

I yelled for help and thankfully, one of my uncles ran down the field after me, jumped onto the tractor and managed to get his foot on the brake pedal right in front of the prickly blackberries and barbed wire fence.

Together we ran back to Dad, who was sitting on the back of the hay trailer. No one said a word – we were all just waiting and wondering what was going to happen next.

And just like that, after about 10 minutes of sitting quietly, he jumped off the trailer and said, “Let’s get to work. We have a lot to do.”

He later explained he had literally pushed the tire up off his chest as it was rolling over him. Yes, he was that strong!

He said he never even had a cracked rib and felt fine.

Unbelievable!

That was the one and only time I was allowed on that tractor. My uncle took over the driving duties and I was relegated to the sidelines.

It’s memories like these from life on the farm that I accredit my work ethic to. I mean, if my dad can be run over by a tractor, get up and do a full day of haying afterwards, I have no excuses to not get done what needs to be done!

But over the years, that philosophy has sometimes backfired on me. My drive to continually keep pushing through, going onward and forward, regardless of how I was feeling, ended up taking a toll on my health.

Despite being told to take a break, and to not work such long hours (for me, that was a bragging point – 18 hour days, seven days a week, yay me – not!) I ignored everything and powered through.

But not anymore!

I got smart and built a team of experts who took over a lot of the work I did myself when I first started eVision Media.

I learned to let go and trust that they knew what to do, and even do it better than I could!

I set up systems and processes so we could quickly and efficiently take care of all the tasks that come in every day from our clients.

Then I started to take Sundays off.

Then the weekends.

And now I have the flexibility to do my morning exercise routine and even take most evenings off!

Sometimes having an incredible work ethic can blind us to the harms of being a highly driven entrepreneur.

As I write this, I’m about to take a few weeks off so I can rest, relax, and take care of things other than the business while I bask in the immense gratitude I have for all the members of my team, who will be taking care of everything in my absence.

I trust that if your work ethic is dictating the terms of your self-care, you will also come to this realization and give yourself a break.

And if you’re in need of a marketing team to help you take some time off, let’s talk about how we can be of assistance.

About the Author, Susan Friesen

Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.

Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.

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