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Phoenix 1996

JFR Notes - Richard

Richard's Story - July 1988

One of the incidents I remember clearly and without embellishment is the time Dad tried to electrocute me. It was one of the summers I was home from college. I was cool and virile. (This last attribute is important to the story.)

We had converted the field just north of the house into a pasture. It was about 5 acres, I think. We kept the cattle confined with an electric fence.

We also, of course, watered it to keep the alfalfa coming up so the cows could graze on it. I was changing the water and had an arm load of tubes (aluminum) and needed to step over the wire fence. I was very near the house and Dad was at the side of the house near the switch for turning the fence on and off. I called to hem to turn it off so I could step over it.

I know he responded with a signal that he heard me and I saw him walk over to the pole and do something that looked like he had flipped the switch off. However, when I swung my leg over the fence, standing ankle deep in mud with both feet, the fence was not off.

I suppose I screamed. I know the tubes went flying. It may have knocked me on my back. I sort of remember Dad coming over to help me up. The thing I can't remember is whether he had a smile on his face.

I always wanted to ask him, when he was in a confessional mood, whether he had purposefully left the switch on. This will have to remain one of life's mysteries.

I had slightly less virility after this experience.


A Johnson Family Memory  from the Guy with the Worst Memory--Dick

Editors note: This story is the same event as the one above but with some different details. It must have had a profound effect on Dick. (Grant)

One summer, I believe after I had started college (early 1960's), I was home working at the Rupert farm. I was changing the water in the field just west of the house. (It was a house, wasn't it?)

We were then using that field for pasture and so we had run an electrical fence around it to keep the steers in. (Or was it to keep them out?) I don't remember--except that there was an electrical fence between me and where I needed to go.

With an arm full of aluminum irrigation tubes, standing knee deep in mud, I wanted to step over the fence to move the pipes to the next watering location. Since I was only about 20 yards from the control box on the power pole I yelled to dad to turn the power off while I stepped over the wire.

I swear that he signaled, "Yes", turned to the box, and acted like he had pulled the handle down/off. He then gave me some kind of "all-clear" sign and I put my leg over the wire to take the first step. (Remember that this fence was designed to deter cows who have the strength of oxen and the brains of finger nails.)

As you can guess--he had not turned the electricity off.

When my crotch hit the wire I got a shock like I hope to never have again. Let me see if I can describe it... It was surely baby labor times 2; or root canal times 10; or nose hair-pulling times 15.

Anyway, I think I threw the tubes over my head and jumped, or fell backward into the muck. I think the shock may have knocked me unconscious for a couple of seconds because I don't remember anything about the event until I saw dad standing over me (pretending to be) concerned about my injuries.

You know how you sort of replay these kinds of traumatic events over and over again in your memory? As I have rehearsed this event in my mind, I think I see just a hint of a smile on dad's face as he turned toward the power pole to pull the handle on the electrical box.

I survived the experience, of course--much to the disappointment of my sisters. And, so far as we can tell, our children appear to be mostly normal.

However, I was forever after, a less trusting soul.

10/29/96