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November/December Brood Sow 2007 Issue
When the rain comes
by Jennifer Shike
Rainy days. Lost luggage. Tangled Christmas tree lights. Maya Angelou claims you can tell a lot about people by the way they handle these three things. Oh goodness, that may be too on target!
As the Christmas season approaches, I had to share this. Because it’s coming. You know the time – when you excitedly open your decorations and find that somehow an unbelievable force has snuck into your box and tangled up your lights. And then the fun of untangling them begins.
I have a friend who just tosses them in the trash when they get tangled and buys another set. She knows she can’t hack the pressure of untangling the mess, and I give her credit for knowing her limits.
Lost luggage is another example that hits home. We just finished our National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) Eastern Regional and our judge, Lee Denzer, lost his luggage after having to switch airports.
Most people would be pretty upset about losing their luggage before judging a show. Not only is it frustrating, potentially expensive and time-consuming, but the last thing you need to worry about is shopping for new clothes in a foreign town. As I visited with Lee the next morning, he just laughed and said, “I’m flexible. I’ll figure it out.”
So, Lee found the closest Wal-Mart and Sears in Harrisburg, Pa., to purchase an extra set of everything. When his clothes came in after the first night of the show, he was like a kid at a candy store.
I learn so much about people and life when I travel to NJSA events. Without a doubt, shows bring out many emotions. Unfortunately, I see a lot of “rainy days” happen. Life doesn’t stop when we are at the shows. People get lost on the way there, pigs get sick, family members argue, they forget to read all of the health rules, and sometimes they have to visit the emergency room.
Oftentimes, I am called to help fix these “rainy days.” And, I’ve learned that how the situations end up is directly dependent on the attitudes involved. I’ve seen terrible challenges presented to our members, and they soar over them because of their hope and positive attitude.
Probably my favorite Maya Angelou quote is this – “I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.”
Sometimes, I can’t answer people at the shows when they ask why things happen the way they do. But, I hold onto hope that it will be better tomorrow. If we don’t have that hope, what do we really have?
In the swine industry, we constantly face the challenges of changing market prices, feed prices, trends – the list continues. Some days, I see people at the top, and other days, I see them at the other end.
But, what makes people survive these changing times is their ability to have hope for the future. You see, I get to work with outstanding, promising young people from across the country. Hope is something I believe in and experience daily.
When I go to California, I get fired up by the next generation of swine enthusiasts that I know are a little more educated about the purebred swine industry because of their involvement in the NJSA.
In Pennsylvania, I saw a show more than double in participation by exhibitors and gilts in less than six years. It was exciting to see kids from 13 states come all the way to Harrisburg, Pa., for a quality gilt show. We had 50 novice participants competing in events all weekend. Yes, that’s right – 50 exhibitors under 8 years old!
Let me assure you that the future is bright. And, while we are surrounded by tough challenges, we can have joy for tomorrow because it is there. We just have to believe it exists and step out in faith.
NJSA members, I encourage you to never give up on your dreams and goals for your future. No matter what, if you work hard enough, you will see good things happen. You will experience success. And, it can happen in agriculture and particularly in the swine industry.
Parents and adult supporters, don’t let kids give up on their dreams and their goals for their futures in the swine industry. Teach them to be flexible so they can move forward as our industry progresses.
So, maybe you aren’t good at untangling Christmas lights, you whine on rainy days and you yelled at an airport employee the last time you lost your luggage. Remember, there is always hope that you can change your attitude and that tomorrow will somehow be better. The rain doesn’t last forever.
