THE TRUCULENT TRACTOR TROGLODYTES*
The Truculent
Tractor Troglodytes (TTTs) are a group of
geriatrically-advantaged individuals in the Texas Hill Country who are
interested in agricultural
tractors and other machines with characteristics similar to their own,
in that they are old, odorous, loud, difficult to control,
worn-out, and subject to failure at any time. If the
respective life-spans of the four charter members were laid end
to end, they would
date back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The
TTTs
are not Luddites; they simply reject the opulence of modern tractors in
favor of older models that provide the gentle caress of a pan seat, the
sweet/acrid smell of hot oil,
the howl of straight-cut gears, the roar of an unmuffled engine,
simplicity of
maintenance and repair and, best of
all, fond memories of times long past.
The
TTTs are a loose-knit (loose
defined as lacking in
structure in contrast to lacking in morality)
organization subject to a change in focus or structure at any time at
the whim of the members. There are no petty accoutrements
such
as dues, membership rosters, agendas, or other such clap-trap.
The organization is nonprofit due to the state of the economy
and members' lack of personal wealth; however, it is not registered as
such with state or national agencies. When members no longer
choose to associate due to attrition, lack of interest, or annoyance
with
an
individual acknowledged to be a PITA**, the organization will cease to
exist--with good riddance!
*Definitions from Webster's
Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.
Merriam-Webster, 1991.
- Truculent
- Agressively self-assertive.
- Tractor -
A 4-wheeled or track-laying rider-controlled
automotive vehicle used especially for drawing implements (as
agricultural) or for bearing and propelling such implements.
- Troglodyte
- A person...with reclusive habits or outmoded or reactionary attitudes.
**Pain-In-The-Ass