JWsPOV

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...

The fall weather has finally set in here in North Central Texas.  Here in this part of Texas we go from shorts and t-shirts to shorts and long-sleeve t-shirts.  Many of us are still able to wear shorts and I am very thankful for this scenario. I love this time of year for the holidays, family and friendships.  We see people on their $800 smart phones chastising stores for opening on Thanksgiving, and some people tears because stores have put out Christmas items before Halloween.  As the song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time, of the year.” When I was growing up we lived in a 1940’s farm house in Sadler, Texas.  My parents bought this house and land wanting to get back to the country.  Mom was born in Odessa where my grandfather was a wildcatter in the oil fields.  Dad was born in a log cabin house on a farm in central Arkansas where his parents were share croppers. My parents were extremely excited about the move and change for the entire fami...

                  As adults we want to ask young people what should be a simple question.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  I love this question for the answers you can get are all over the charts.  You will get great answers like Policeman, Baker, Princess, and even Teacher.  When I was a manager and use to interview people for jobs.  I loved to ask adults this same question.  Now you might not think this is a valuable tool, I believe this is a great question.  Most adults are surprised by the question considering themselves already grown.                  When you step back to think about it, adults are just grown kids.  Men I will agree are more kids than most others.  I have done a couple of different jobs in my adult life.  I will not go throug...

            Recently I watched a movie called Hidden Figures.  This is a true story highlighting the accomplishments of a group of women.  These women had an enormous impact on the outcome of the space program and the success of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration.)  This group of women are smart, hardworking individuals who solved problems in NASA that others could not.  The remarkable thing about these women is most had LESS education than the men who worked at NASA and could perform twice the work.  The women were dedicated to being successful while at the same time understanding their limitations that government and society placed on their community.  One of the themes in the movie is how other people in the movie were always underestimating these women.  From the outside looking in people always have a different perspective.  One point of view can drastically change your ideas or opinion...

     The path to success is never easy or short.  There are normally curves, bumps, and detours in anyone's road to achieving their goals.  The path to your goal is not a set route you plug into a GPS. Once you get to your final goal, it's one of the best feelings you can imagine.        Successful people share many traits in life.  One of those is the ability to learn from mistakes and failures.  When driving down the highway of life, we should not stop when we see a bump in the road.  Instead we should learn how to handle those bumps at any stage of the process.  Gatorade has a commercial with some of the most talented athletes in our recent history.  The message in the commercial is you must fail until you succeed.  The message of failure is one of the best messages that we can put out there for young people.  Winners work hard, whether it is in the barn, on the field, or in the boardroom.  Suc...

     There is a wonderful family in Central Texas that are always stating how the stock show life is Living the Dream.  This is a motto that people from all walks of life can relate too.  Some people cannot imagine what it is like to spend hours in a hot sweltering barn or show ring to present an animal for less than 15 minutes.  Most people cannot imagine what the feeling of reward feels like after those short 15 minutes if you come out victorious.      Living the Dream encompasses so much for people in the livestock industry.  It covers from purely raising breeding and replacement animals to show animals.  It is a love hate relationship that most people would not give up or change.   I believe Living the Dream motto can apply to many people in many situations.  Whether it is sarcastic or serious, most enjoy hearing it and can relate to the statement.      Recently Dad and I went to the National Junior ...

     It is a pleasure when I get to take time off and travel.  During the summer time my dad and I like to travel to a couple of cattle shows.  We attend the state show for Hereford cattle and also a national show.  In June we had the pleasure of attending the Texas Junior Hereford State Show in Belton, Texas.  Just recently we traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for the National Junior Hereford Expo.      What is exciting about these shows is they are the largest of their kind.  Texas alone has 300 plus head of cattle just at the state level attending the show in June.  This July the national show had over 2000 head.  These are exciting and fun events to attend each year.  There is a lot of time, effort, blood sweat and tears involved.  The shows at the national level require over a year of planning and fundraising by the host state.  This years host was Kentucky.  They did a great job and had wonderful...

     The 4th Day of July, 1776 should always be a great day of celebration in this great country.  The United States is a young country compared to European counterparts.  We are though, the longest ruled country under the same document.  The Declaration of Independence was the precursor to the constitution.  These are two very critical documents in our country and should be treated as such until the end of time.  That is my opinion as I am very proud to be an American.      The men who help create this country and the women behind them that supported their efforts are and will always be true patriots.  They were all military men who helped defeat the British and gain our independence as a country.  I know there is a lot of talk and discussion about the wrongs committed against the Native Americans.  The way they were treated cannot be excused.  Just like Slavery cannot be excused.  As a country and have a...

     Everyone has their own definition of Patriotism.  It can have a different meaning for many people and for many different reasons.  I think it's a good thing that everyone sees their own version of patriotism.  I also believe it is important to know the history behind it and what it really means in The United States of America.      Most people will be grilling hot dogs and burgers.  Chowing down on coleslaw, potato salad, and chips.  Others will be with friends and family doing a number of outdoor activities.  Most people I know will be traveling to or from a cattle show or event. Any of these are wonderful ways to spend the Forth of July weekend.      The 4th celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  There is a link HERE to let you read the Declaration if you have not before, which I encourage everyone to do at least once in their life.  The simplicity of the document is ver...

     There are many times in our lives when we feel like we are not in control.  We feel like everything happening is beyond our reach and we are just spiraling out of control.  Or there are times when we feel like everything is going wrong.  I have always been a big believer in everything happens for a reason.  We may not know for years down the road why god has put so much on our shoulders.  One day the light will shine in and you will see clarity and understand more than you can imagine.      As we get older in life we we become very conscious of the burdens that we and others bare when it comes to our loved ones.  Children carry one of the biggest crosses when we have to bury a parent.  It's never easy and no matter how peacefully they pass.  It's always hard to say goodbye.  We hate to see a parent go at any age in life.  Whether they have lived a long full life or cut down in their prime.  The o...

     Summer is a special season for most Americans.  This is a time when Teachers and Students get a break from each other and when other adults usually get a break from work.  Summer is also a time when people spend a lot of time together.  They go to cookouts, pool parties, or take weekend get-a-ways.  Growing up in the country my summers normally were spent in a cattle barn, hay field and pastures.  We were either working show cattle, hauling hay or repairing fence.      When I was young there was no internet, no cell phones and no insta - anything.  If we wanted to communicate with each other we had to pick up the land line phone and call that person.  Or we would write them a letter.  I know it sounds crazy to some of you younger people.  Many of us actually could fill an entire day and not speak to anyone but the people in our house or even no one at all.     The times we live in now are a lot...