Jeff Ditzenberger, of Argyle, Wisconsin, has been in agriculture ever since he was about 5 years old. He resumed working in the fields after serving with the Navy in the Gulf.
Life can get lonely in the fields, which is why he still vividly remembers the day when some unexpected little visitors showed up on his farm.
That day, Ditzenberger saw a vehicle driving slowly past his fields numerous times.
The vehicle pulled over and stopped.
Ditzenberger went over to ask if they needed anything.
“The lady explained their grandchildren were visiting from Florida and had never seen ‘farmer stuff’ up close.”
Ditzenberger noticed there were two exuberant boys and a sweet little girl, who was pretty quiet, sitting inside the car.
“I also happened to notice that she kept turning away from me, and there was a scar or a birthmark or something on her face.”
Not wanting to disturb Ditzenberger, the grandmother and her husband thanked him for stopping before taking their leave.
But then, one of the boys suggested he would like to see what the combine harvester does.
The grandmother attempted to hush the child, but Ditzenberger gladly invited the boys for a ride.
The two boys excitedly joined Ditzenberger on a ride in the combine harvester.
During the ride, Ditzenberger asked, “Why didn’t your sister want to come?”
The boys said, “She’s shy.”
Curious, he asked them about her face. They explained it was a birthmark and that the girl gets bullied over that very often.
After giving the boys a ride, Ditzenberger asked the little girl, “How come you didn’t want to go for a ride?”
She replied, “Well the boys always say that kind of stuff is just for boys not for girls…”
“You know, there are girl farmers...,“ Ditzenberger said, laughing. ”Would you like a ride?”
With her grandma’s permission, the girl accepted the invitation.
Ditzenberger gave the girl a ride in the combine harvester.
By the end, Ditzenberger told her, “Here… you can turn the steering wheel.” He tried to convince her, saying “not everybody gets to do this but people that are part of the Special Face Club definitely get to…”
The girl smiled, melting Ditzenberger’s heart.
Eventually, the girl steered the wheel while her grandma videotaped her “driving by.”
The girl had a big, radiant smile on her face even when they got out of the combine harvester.
Her brothers got a little jealous, wondering why she got to drive.
Like a dog with two tails, the girl bragged to her grandma: “Did you see me! Did you see me! I got to drive, I got to drive!”
The girl was so happy that she gave Ditzenberger a big hug and a “Thank you!”
Her grandfather told him, “That’s the biggest smile we’ve seen on her this vacation so far!”
Ditzenberger had an unforgettable day too. The children’s faces—mostly the little girl’s—were on his mind the rest of the day after they left.
The girl made an indelible impression on him not due to her birthmark but because of “her genuine smile.”
She called to mind the exhilaration and happiness he felt whenever his grandpa let him “drive” the tractor during his childhood.
“I swore that I was going to make other people feel that way when I got older and I’ve definitely failed at that numerous times, but I’m trying…,” Ditzenberger wrote.
Ditzenberger used 30 minutes of his time to make someone happy that day.
“I need to do that more often … Today was a good day … and one I shall not soon forget,” Ditzenberger concluded.
Thank you Ditzenberger for making a little girl smile!
One of the most wonderful feelings in the world is knowing someone is happy because of you.
So, make someone’s day brighter with a simple act of kindness today—it’s guaranteed to be a rewarding experience.
