The Log That Couldn't Be Moved

There used to be a big tree by the edge of the garden, where the local road and our drive-way intersect. By the authorization of powers greater than me, namely my parents, it was cut down. In all fairness, the place looks better with it lying in separate logs on the ground, rather than it blocking the view. In any case, my father thought it would be nice if we could move one of the logs into position and turn it into a make-shift bench.

Only thing though... it's a massive log. Absolutely enormous.

There are lots of farmers around the area where I live, so it wouldn't have been all that hard to get some heavy equipment brought in to do the job, but what's the fun in letting big machines take all the glory? Thus my dad and I tried to wiggle the big log loose, but it moved little. Swallowing our manly pride, we decided to give in and let a machine have a go at it, not a heavy duty one though, because that would still be cheating.

We tied a rope around one end of the log, and hooked the rope onto the car, as to rotate the log into place. We feared the rope might break, but figured it was worth a try.

The log moved! Ever so slowly the log was getting into place, and the rope wasn't breaking either. Fantastic! Then my dad shouted from inside the car, "it's on fire!!"

I looked up and saw a bit of smoke coming from the bonnet, and my dad hurrying to open it up to let the engine cool off. Yes, the log was too heavy even for the car to deal with it and the added difficulty of having to drive uphill caused the engine to over-heat. No damage was done to the car itself, it just needed a breather so to speak. However, since we are selling it in the coming months it would be a sad shame if something actually happened to it, so we gave up on that idea.

Finding ourselves back at square one, we turned to that aspect of humanity that ever so often proves our ally, our blunt stubbornness. That log was going to move, one way or the other. 

We dug our heels in, and with our last strength (plus some added help from my little brother who came out wondering what all the commotion was all about) we actually managed to get it into place. 

The car might overheat, but not the will of a determined man. How beautiful. It was such a sentimental glorification of the power of the the free man that I almost heard "The Star-Spangled Banner" playing in the wind, and shed a solitary tear. Well, no, I certainly did not, but you get the idea. The log was in place and I was happy with my effort.

I could get all deep now and compare the log to the troubles in life, heavy and seemingly unmovable. The car to that perfect quick fix that never actually works. Get all worked up and gloriously promote "will-power" and the "never-say-die attitude". But I'm too lazy for that right now, so you can write that last part for yourself.

Pz  =P