7-year drought, just like in the Bible, and nothing to show for it ‘cept an empty purse and two missing fingers.

A bit of the carnage…

Today was unique because I quit. Just like last week was unique too. Two weeks in a row of quitting. Usually I don’t quit. I just keep mindlessly plugging away.

I laid an corn-storage idea egg seven years ago. I sat on it for a few days and then set to work. I have constantly been hatching, setting it up on the wall, watching it crash, gluing it back together and rehatching it for the entire seven years span. Just like Humpty Dumpty, except it goes on and on.

It has been full of interesting, tedious,  finger clipping (not fingernail clipping), exhilarating, risky and high-wire acts pretty much daily. I’ve made a little money on the enterprise but have invested and shed far more cash, time, blood, sweat and tears throughout the ordeal.

Many advisers (wife, family, friends) have tried mightily each of those seven drought-infested years to get me to stop the madness. But I’m not a quitter. I may be an idiot but I’m not a quitter.

Just a few snapshots of my seven-year Biblical drought, efforts and carnage…

No grain bins on earth have experienced the gyrations these bins have endured. Lucky for me, Behlen are well-built.

Precarious is the only word I know that can describe the work. On my second generation modification, I spent over a year reinforcing, ductifying and cutting more than 600 holes in  7 bins. Most of them were high in the air.

It worked but didn’t. I spent another year plus uninstalling ducting and uncutting holes.

At one point, through some very unique circumstances, I was forced to divvy out $200,000 for 5 minutes worth of help on another generation of this new-fangled technology. It’s a crazy story but happens to be true. In fact, the latest baby I’m throwing out with the bathwater on this present day is now 4 years old and was conceived during the aforementioned 5 minutes.

I get in some of the darndest situations.

But at this point, corn harvest is just around the corner and I’m tired of the grind. Months and more months of rebooting lie ahead of me with no boot laces left. I finally saw the light. This must be the month of the Quit.

I’ve purchased tons of brand spanking new sheet metal and equipment and am now chucking everything that hasn’t already been chucked.

I’m not a Has Been. I’m more of a Has Ben or Has Bin.

And speaking of quitting, last week I gave up on an old friendship that was a golden oldie. However, in the last decade I’ve noticed it turning moldy, far worse than some of the corn I’ve experimented with.

I didn’t throw it out initially since I had hope that things might get rectified. In fact, I’ve made efforts over the last 10 years to initiate dialogue and circumvent this particular quagmire but finally gave up and quit last week. It brought some relief to yell “Uncle” and alleviate the churning.

There has to be give and take in a relationship on both sides. Without pliability, sooner or later it’s adios amigo. In this case, that didn’t happen.

Everyone is different. To some it’s all about the dollar. For others it’s more about the doughnut. I much prefer putting the buck on the back burner and eating a few doughnuts with a frosting of good friends.

I know forgiveness is the key to resolving conflicts like this humdinger. Perhaps with all the quitting I’m doing, I’ll quit experiencing the automatic reactions that pop up whenever I drive by the old buddy’s place. I know it’s a must-do exercise before the peace can set in.

Back to the corn bins. Seven years of thinking the only one way to proceed is to never give up doesn’t change easily. With this project it remained embedded in my head morning, noon and night.

But today I gave it up. But today turned out better than I anticipated.  As the grain bins that always need work heated up, I adjusted to the reality. I felt more and more at ease with this morning’s new viewpoint. And then a few good things happened.

I had a  visitor who has been using a unique item I developed and manufactured. He was very happy with my product and ordered more. Then again, maybe he’s happy with it just because he hasn’t paid me for the three units he’s already taken possession of.

I’m quite sure he’ll pay the bill and we’ll stay buds. Mainly because he’s a great guy, runs a real estate company (Lybbert Fielding Real Estate in Pasco) and is also my brother-in-law.

The possible market potential for this item probably is in the tens of millions. I picked up this talking point as a brand new inventor some 30 years ago and have used it daily ever since.  (My wife complains that I talk this way about every new idea I work on which averages about one a week).

I really do believe everyone is going to be beating a path to my door as soon as I work the bugs out!

I also had a couple of calls today that might change the course of Moveitinc.com in a big way. By the way, I’ve never had one single call similar to both calls I got today. I have no idea if these communications will pan out.

Another great thing happened this afternoon. I got a new sheet metal/grain bin idea so it looks like I’m back in the hunt. The possible market potential for this item probably is in the tens of millions.

I’m sure Tommy Edison experienced these same emotions every time he gave up for good and then changed his mind the next morning. I’m sure his wife had the same dour comments that I also hear on a daily basis.

I’ve got to go. Corn harvest is just around the corner.

Note: I haven’t heard anything from Al Yenney. He’s the guy who was picked last Saturday to receive $500 if he was following and sharing this blog. I thought I would hear a word of thanks from him concerning the complimentary words I scribbled about him after he was drawn.

At the least he could have called me up and complained about missing out on the cash.

I just hope whoever gets drawn this Saturday has followed the easy but necessary steps in order to be eligible for the cash!

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