Pickups and Wives

My husband's feed pickup and I came around at the same time, and I've always felt that we were kindred spirits of sorts.  My (now) husband and I had just begun to date and he had just purchased a shiny, new feed pickup.

Now, here we are nearly a decade later and the guild is definitely off the lily.

His pickup's not anything fancy, no 'extras' or frills, nothing sporty or flashy.  Just a plain, brown, workhorse.  She works tirelessly, day in and day out without much fanfare.  She gets treated to new tires every now and again because they help her keep working hard.  The items that are fairly inconsequential; however, are ignored once broken - radio, air conditioning, side mirror, passenger door handle...  But as long as she can keep running 9-0 from before sunup until well after sundown, he'll keep her around.

To say that he 'abuses' or 'neglects' his pickup is not quite accurate.  The words are much too strong and the connotations too negative.  He keeps the essentials maintained - tires and oil.  For everything else, she can take care of herself or do without.

But wait?  What's this?

A few weeks ago, my husband brought home a new feed pickup.  She looks almost identical to the old one.  Brown hair paint, single cab.  This one even has a few of the upgrades, like power windows and locks.  (Getting a bit pretentious now, aren't we?)  He casually mentioned that one of these days the old feed pickup will no longer be of any use to him so he'll take the flatbed off her and slap it on the new pickup.

I was indignant.  REALLY?  He's going to rip the bed off the old pickup like it is no big deal, especially after she's given him the best miles of her life?  What about their vows, the promises that they made to each other about staying together through good times and dust, muddy pastures and snow drifts?  Does that not mean anything to anyone anymore?

I sneer a little every time I walk by 'the new girl' as she sits there all clean and pretty in the shed.  She may think it's all fun and games right now, but just wait, my dear.  Just wait.  Someday you'll have a baby calf in your cab and I hope it poops on your floorboard, right after her mama dents in door trying to reach her baby.  You'll see then that it's not all fun and games being a ranch wife pickup.

Ladies and pickups, please know that you're the unsung heroes that help keep things running smoothly day in and day out.  Even if you're husband doesn't tell you this on a daily basis (i.e. never), the two of you can still commiserate together.  And in the back of your mind, pray that the only thing he ever keeps trading in and upgrading is a pickup.