Skip to main content

Building Communities

      At this point we are almost through the summer.  My mind works as summer being June, July and August.  Three glorious months where memories are made and we all grow a little older.  From the outlook of students and teachers it is a blessing along with a curse.  Short times of freedom while the dredge of the school year slowly approaches. 

     Summer time is a great time to reconnect with friends/family while rejuvenating your mind, body and soul.  Many families still opt for a vacation somewhere exciting.  Others just relax and spend time at home.  Those of us in Agriculture tend to spend summer breaks in barns, pastures, and show rings.  Many of this happens all over the state and country.

     This time is a special time in young people's lives.  It can really make a difference in their outlook in the world.  For young people they are going to start back to school in a new grade with new teachers, new challenges, and even new hopes.  For many it's football or volleyball practices among Augusts heat.  For others it's getting ready for band or the new activities in school.

     During these times it's amazing how people come together for a common cause, to support the school and youth.  This is something that agriculture has done for centuries.  The farmers and ranchers of this country literally feed the world.  This is accomplished through support of each other by sharing ideas, sharing problems and supporting each other when needed.

     While all these great events are happening.  Some people or groups in our society spend a lot of time seeking the flaws in each other.  This has become big business for some groups.  People we spend time degrading one another through various outlets and avenues.  Time ,in my opinion, is wasted.  We expel energy that could be put to better and more productive purposes.  A lot of this time is spent doing it on social media.  We see news organizations slanting stories and events.  Leaving out slight details which could make a world of difference in a story.  This creates an environment where people can really fuel their outrage or hatred for one another.  A very strange aspect of our world if you ask me and somewhat pointless. 

     Maybe a better way to spend that time is to build each other up. Supporting each other in different aspects of our lives. Some people want to go to farmers markets to support local growers and get fresh fruit and vegetables.  Many people in the agriculture industry grow a lot of what they eat. These are the same people that appreciate the longer days of summer.  They can get more down outside while there is still daylight.

     On the other end of the spectrum there are Vegan/Vegetarians who spend their time protesting and hounding livestock producers.  These groups and even individuals seem to have a desire to bring down an industry with wrong information.  There is a saying or quote that reads, the problem with telling a lie over and over again is that people start to believe it.  This is one of the biggest problems with our society today.  People continually just believe what they hear from one source and that is all the information they need.

     At Christmas Time many people want to shop local and support local businesses. Others still choose to go to big box stores and do all their shopping. Thankfully to a free society with a capitalist system, you have the right to choose where you go to buy and do business.

      So ask yourself this question.  If you want to do better for your community and country, why would you want to shame or humiliate a business?  We have seen Christian businesses sued and shamed for not wanting to bake a cake for people in the LGBT community.  This is my next question.  Why aren't people of the LGBT community support LGBT businesses?  The same can be said on the flip side.  I am a someone that wants to support local businesses.  I love helping fellow cattle producers and agriculture producers.

     When America was young, millions of immigrants came to this country.  These people tended to live near people of their home country such as Italians, Czechoslovakian, Chinese and even Blacks.  They went to where they new or felt comfortable with other people.  Bought groceries, dry goods and almost everything from their neighbors.  That is how many tended to thrive in times of uncertainty.   If you live in a gay community please go to the gay church to get married. Go to the gay bakery who might be struggling to get your cake. Use a gay photography studio to take pictures. People in rural north Texas where I live, use local people for everything.  There are great bakeries, photographers and even venues to host events.  People naturally go to people they know or know of from others to do business.

     There is a viable statistic in customer service.  If a person has a bad experience at a store or on the phone, they will tell ten people about it.  If they have a great experience, they will tell two or three about it.  Word of mouth use to be the greatest way to promote a business.  Now it's all on social media.  It has turned into a powerful tool.  One that is sometimes run by people who should have adult supervision at all times.  

     If I want to bring this all back to a point it has to be this thought.  In the world we live in today.  There are so many people that live in large cities through out this great country.  They congregate at their local coffee shops and hang outs to discuss the most important topics.  On the other side there are just as many people who live in rural or country areas that go to the local store on the corner for a jug of milk.  They see their neighbors or a friend at Wal-Mart and catch up for a minute.  The power of each of these groups is the same.  One group is not superior to the other.  This is what makes this a great country.

     The more we support our local communities in whatever fashion, the better we are as a society.  We should spend time in our communities.  We need to travel, IN THIS COUNTRY, to areas that we have not been too.  Open our eyes and minds to other ideas.  If we want to grow individually, or even as a group, we have to step outside the bubble.  The one thing that we as a country need to keep in mind is that there is a larger purpose in our lives.  We are all here for a grander purpose.  Sometimes it's not easy to see and sometimes we never know the impacts.

     We should always keep a few things in mind.  Always do good by others.  Always speak from your heart.  The last is always live each day like it will be your last.

     For my quote to close, this is an inscription written in a bible that sold at auction a few years ago.
"Is a great source of wisdom and consolation and should be read frequently,"  It was written in the bible that belonged to Albert Einstein that he had given to a close American friend.  

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

You are a special kind of stupid aren't you?

     I started this post the other day and it was titled something else and decided to change it since people never cease to amaze me. I know a lot of people. They either worked with me, were one of my employees when I managed people, or friends and family.  I like to follow a wide variety of people on my twitter account.  I think it's important to get a well rounded idea of what people think and believe.      There are some horrific tragedies that have occurred in our country.   They are tragedies that we have seen in the past and will continue to see in the future.  We as Americans come together and support each other, we provide support, food, money, and a prayer.  All are important to the process of rebuilding their lives that have been destroyed.      Theordore Rosevelt was fond of the West African Proverb "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." Pretty good saying in my book. ...

Clean your Windshield

It’s that time of year where people will have the “new year, new me” phrase going strong. For many that will last about 2-3 weeks.  For others they will last well into mid-year. I am of the philosophy that you should make changes immediately in life. If you need to start eating healthier then go to the cupboard and fridge and throw out all unhealthy food. If you are going to stop drinking, throw out all your booze. (Rest a sure this will not happen in my house.) If you are going to start working harder on your livestock, turn off your phones and get to the barn. If you are going to sit back and re-evaluate your life while planning for new adventures, sit down and make a list. Every one of these goals requires you to clean your windshield to see what is ahead of you.  As we go down the highway of life we have a big broad windshield in front of us. We can see great distances and have great hopes of what I'd to come in our lives. In-order to see down that road, you must clea...

It is Just a Show

  In the beginning I was not a watcher or a fan. There was a lot of talk. Chatter online. Then I decided to tune and check out all the hype. There is cattle, ranching, horses, politics, drama, and suspense. This show was a creation from the mind of a very creative horse jockey. The story is well written, the acting is superb, and the raw attitude is what brings people back each week. This show hits an audience that is hungry for real talk, real action, and real results. The bad part is it is all fiction.  The show is full of wrong information. Actions that make no sense. Calves do not jump up and start running immediately after being born. Most cattle ranches don’t take their hands and shoot them off a cliff if their employment has ended. They don’t brand their workers for show of loyalty. The good news is it is all fiction.  The characters in the show are people you either love or hate. They are characters that bring a lot of talent to the show. These people come from ma...