Merk.

Hey guys! As you may or may not know, I have been gone for almost two weeks for both the Ford Leadership Scholars training week and the 84th Texas FFA Convention. Now, I know that it probably would have been better to make posts day by day so that my recollection of the events were more accurate, but I wasn't intuitive enough to do just that. So, rather than going on and on about everything that has gone down in the past two weeks (which have been the best two of my life), I am going to have a relatively short post about the best thing that I have gained from this... Relationships.

No, not the "boyfriend-girlfriend" kind of relationships. Y'all know me; that's the last thing I care about! Rather, I am speaking of the relationships that you build and fortify naturally, have the want to keep strong, and mean the most to you in the long-run.

Starting with my Ford Scholars week, the relationships that I gained could have remained on a professional level. I could have worked with them and added them to my network, only to pull back out when I thought it might be advantageous to me. But that's not what I wanted. It was my goal to connect with them professionally, and then personally. Having professional relationships with others can only take you so far. It will help you nurture your skills in whatever aspect that you wish, and they will teach you how to compose yourself among others. But it is that personal touch that enables you to truly get to know who you are working with; that personal touch which gives you genuine happiness, leading then to good health and mind; and that personal touch that allows the relationship to be more enriching and enjoyable.

But I can't just talk about how my "second family" works well together. They are truly now some of my best friends and I can't wait to see where they go with their service projects and beyond. The amount of jokes that we had together (merk, seriously?, think about it, crack fox, etc.), laughs we shared, emotions we let out, and sweat we sweated together really made this group a very special one. I wouldn't trade my friendships with them for anything in the world.

State Convention was also a blast and taught me a different aspect of relationships. When seeing the other area officers from across the state, I realized that most of them had only seen me at the State Leadership Conference earlier this Summer. Some of them embraced me with open arms, while others didn't look at me any differently than they looked at a stranger. That was true on my side, too. First impressions truly are everything, and I am definitely more aware of that now.

But it was great seeing them all again regardless. I made some new bonds, as well as making some stronger ones, and they are very much another "second family" of mine (I love all my families!). I also realized the influence I have now as someone who is making more and more relationships. The amount of people from within my area who recognized me was startling to me, and I now know that I influence them in the same way that past officers influenced me. I must do my best from day to day to ensure that it is a positive influence that will make a real difference.

Not even two hours after I got home from all of this, I received a phone call from a friend of mine in the FFA. They simply wanted to say "thank you for being my role model." I had no clue how to react to that, but it was alarming. How could I, W Hayden Lander, have that sort of impact on another person's life? How did I become someone to look up to? When did I begin making a difference? I may never have these answers, but I must continue doing whatever it is that I am doing right, and I thank the Lord every day for calling me to this fine organization.

Now, I know that this blog's content is sort of bland, but I'm hoping to have more entertaining content mixed in in the future. I will also be editing the look when I figure out how to do so completely. It's a work in progress! Bear with me.

Signing out.
W