Ever hear of the Dunning–Kruger effect? Don’t worry, I’m not turning this into a psychology lecture. In the shortest words possible: it’s when you don’t know what you don’t know — so you think you’re smarter than you are.
Now… keep that in mind while I tell you this little tale.
Remember last week when Anne’s car muffler fell off? Well, truth be told, that was just the last straw on a camel that’s been limping along for a while. The poor car has been lighting up the dash like a Christmas tree for over a year now — orange lights, and lately even a couple of red blinky ones.
With Anne now full-time on the farm, and us keeping a tighter rein on finances, I figured it was finally time to embrace my full-on farmer persona. You know the one: “farmers can do anything.” I’ll admit, I’ve said it more than once. And honestly, how many times have I watched a movie where everyone is panicking over some impossible technical problem, and I find myself muttering, “Just toss one farmer into the scene — they’ll rig it and save the day.”
So, yeah… it was time.
I bought myself a little toy that plugs into the car and tells you what’s wrong. Armed with that, some YouTube confidence, and the obvious fact that the muffler was lying on the driveway, I had a plan. Two full days later — laying on a cement floor, twisting my hands into spaces no hand was designed to fit — I’d replaced sensors, tightened parts, and even touched things I still don’t know the names of.
And would you believe it? The car runs like it did years ago. Smooth, quiet, no lights on the dash. Victory!
But here’s the catch. Am I actually on the slope of enlightenment (as the Dunning–Kruger folks call it) — or am I standing proudly at the peak of Mount Stupid, where everything seems fixed only because I don’t yet know what’s about to go wrong?
Only time will tell.
For now, though, I’m choosing to believe that yes, farmers really can do just about anything we set our minds to, even fix a car that was screaming for the scrapyard. And if it breaks down again… well, at least I’ll have another good story for you.
Your Farmer,
Rod