Glimpses of my Life
The people and events that shaped my life
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We mostly used mules in our farming, although after 1935 we had a Case tractor which we shared with my brother who farmed the adjoining land. Since I was so small I was not expected to work the mules much until I was about 12. Before that, there was no way that I could get the harness up over the mule’s back. I developed a sort of love-hate relationship with the mules. They are very intelligent beasts−much more so than horses. They can pull very heavy loads if properly persuaded but will never work themselves to death while horses can be driven until they collapse and sometimes die. They will eat all they can handle and then stop while horses will eat until they founder. On the other hand, mules will avoid work as much as possible and each develops clever ways of making his teammate do more than his share. They are adept at moving themselves just enough that you cannot do what you want. For example, if you wanted to hitch them to a wagon, you would drive them into the proper position. Then when you went to attach their harness tugs to the doubletree, they would move up a small step so that the tugs would not reach.. I would swear that some of them have a sadistic sense of humor. We had one that was quite musical. When plodding along with a loaded wagon, I was usually whistling and his ears would go back and forth in time with the music much like a conductor’s baton. If I stopped whistling, the ears would both swivel back facing me to see what was happening. I used to ride the mules, none of which were broken to ride, and seldom had any trouble with them. They have uncomfortably prominent backbones for bareback riding and we had no saddle. They did have a very comfortable gait and in pioneer days a good riding mule was highly prized. Last week I saw a group of riders go by and realized that one of them was on a mule. I tried to think when I had last seen someone riding a mule and realized that it was probably me about 60 years ago. I was thrilled! We raised and broke our own mules and sold some to the army during World War II. Mules could carry several hundred pounds and go almost anywhere a man could go on foot.
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About the Book
This book is about the defining people, events and institutions in the author’s life. Although he has a PhD in physics and spent his working life in the field of physics, the book has very little to do with the technical and scientific aspects of his life. He began as a farm boy and went to a one room country school and a small town high school He did not appreciate the importance of many of these influences at the time. For example, he certainly did not think that working mules on the farm was beneficial but now he can see that he learned a lot from those aggravating beasts. His education during the years of World War II left a lot to be desired but it was good enough to prepare him for the rigors of MIT degrees in physics. It is hoped that this book will help some young people in similar situations in their efforts.
About the Author
Richard (Dick) McCall is a retired physicist who now lives in California. After 27 years at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, he spends his time reading, playing horseshoes and gardening. He has been married for over fifty years and has three married children and seven grandchildren.