Personal Narrative Essay: The Trailer

My First Try

Have you ever had to do something that you have never done before? My Dad always told me there is a first time for everything! Well, this was one of those times.

“What is she sick with?” I asked.

Paul, the pasture manager, replied, “Photosensitisation, so she will have to be kept inside.”

“Okay. Someone will be there within the hour to pick her up”, I said as I hung up the phone.

I drove the truck along the dusty trail to where my husband was working. When I told him why I was there he quickly replied, “I can’t go now so you will have to.”

“I have never towed the stock trailer before,” I said apprehensively.

“You will do fine,” he reassured me.

He came back to the yard and hooked the trailer to the truck. As I climbed in behind

I thought to myself, ‘I can do this – no problem.’ Then I realized I had to back up to the gate to get the cow loaded onto the trailer. I was so relieved when Paul offered to back the trailer up for me. One sick cow and one healthy calf loaded and ready for the trip home.

Once home, I now had to back the sixteen foot trailer up to the barn. I opened the barn door and pulled up in front of it. As I started backing up, I turned the wheel to the left and the trailer finally became square to the barn. Now the truck was crooked to the trailer. I turned the wheel to the right and the trailer was no longer square to the barn but the truck and trailer were straight to each other. I was nowhere close enough to the barn yet. I realized this was going to be an enormous problem!

I pulled ahead to get lined up but now I was even further from the barn door. I started to back up again and then I noticed the trailer was off center so I turned the wheel to the right. Oh no, wrong way! I turned the wheel to the left and continued backing up. Once again, the truck and trailer had gone in opposite directions. Eventually I figured out that I was going too fast and over steering. After about 20 tries, I finally got close to the barn door. Now I had to make sure I didn’t hit it. I got out to look a few times and each time I would back up a little more. After much perseverance and some frustration, I had finally accomplished my