It's Thursday, Thursday, Thursday! To all my faithful readers (I have those, right??), you know what that means! A NEW BLOG POST! Now, not to disappoint any of y'all, but this one will have to be a little bit shorter. Why, you ask? Well, against my own will, I slept in late today... Until 11:45! I absolutely detest getting up any later than 9 usually, and it seems as if I broke that little chain as of lately. But not this morning...
So immediately after doing this, I am going to jump in the shower, go to work, file me some insurance papers, get off work and pick my little brother up, head to the band hall for practice, head to the ag barn for FFA stuff (duh), then head home to both pack for my upcoming weekend excursion to College Station and finish up my summer reading assignment.
Maybe I'm still a little too analytical of my British literature, but I think I am quite like Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit! You see, before the thirteen dwarves and one wizard show up on his doorstep, he wasn't quite sure he was capable of any adventures. He was far too timid, preferred staying home with his food and pipe, and was much more likely to have a nightmare about going five miles from home than plundering from a sleeping dragon. But alas, he got involved with this quest and was very much the hero throughout the book.
Now, I'm not saying that I'm a hero, but I do feel that I have become a person with a much more active personality. Prior to becoming involved in FFA, really, I was perfectly content with just staying home and either playing video games or reading a book. I, like Mr. Baggins, wasn't all too keen on adventure unless it involved cake or something of the sort. But once I got dragged into "adventure" (FFA) by my brother and first ag teacher, I discovered that I was meant to be a much more engaged individual. I love being busy and if there isn't more than three things on my schedule, then something is wrong!
I still enjoy eating cake, and a day off is fine if used in careful moderation, but I must say that I love the new me rather than the old me! Once you find what adventure is calling you to attention, then take hold of the opportunity and look back with no regrets! Who knows - you may find your own magical ring or Arkenstone in the process!
"'Go back?'" he thought. "'No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!'" - Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Music, for lack of a better title.
"I guess there's just something about Thursdays. During the school year, they are always my "chill nights", when I don't really have anything going on and I can regroup, adjust focus, and recharge before the weekend. Unless something drastic happens to change that, I will designate Thursdays as my blogging day. I feel like there should be an awesome name for it, but let's face it, no good adjectives start with TH. Thoughtful. Thrilling. Thug. Yeah, those aren't going to work. In any case - I will do my best to put out new posts on Thursdays. That's pretty convenient for everyone - watch Jenna Marbles on Wednesday, read about [W Hayden] on Thursday. Life is good."
I put the above paragraph in quotes because, as at least one reader will have noticed, those are NOT my words. I repeat: NOT. MY. WORDS. I stole them for three reasons.
1. To promote my friend's awesome blog. Check it out! (shelbyeckhardt.blogspot.com)
A. I am promoting her blog because she motivated me to start blogging at a more consistent pace!
2. To scare Shelby, making her think that I was plagiarizing.
3. To make a statement that I will be trying to, like Shelby, post every Thursday. (Sorry Shelby, I know that's your thing, but it's really convenient for me too!) Recently, I had declared I would be making one post a day. Quickly, I realized that was unrealistic, and it would simply make for a slew of ramblesome, dull posts with many incoherent conclusions and made up words (such as ramblesome).
So, without further ado, I begin my first Thursday post!
The past few nights, I have had a little bit of down time. By down time, I mean that I am too lazy to read a book as short as The Christmas Carol, simply because I know I have questions to answer about it for my summer reading assignment shortly after. Because of this, I have been able to do a little bit of hobby-ing, if you can call it that - that is, I've been listening to and discovering music ad nauseam.
Anyone who meets me quickly discovers my knack for listening to some "odd" music. In fact, when including fun trivia about myself when doing ice breakers in FFA, I almost always mention my affinity for Icelandic music. But it doesn't stop there. The music I listen to most often is likely to be the genres of folk and Americana, as well as all of their derivatives (The Tallest Man on Earth, Fleet Foxes, Shakey Graves, First Aid Kit, Brett Detar, Caravan of Thieves, Civil Wars... just to name a few). I could listen to my beloved post-rock albums from such bands as Mogwai, A Silver Mt. Zion, and Explosions in the Sky on a loop for hours. At night, I will often fall asleep to classical music (my favorites are Gymnopedie and Adagio for Strings). Many times, I even wake up with my headphones wrapped around my neck lightly. Hazardous? Nah... Dedication! Then, there are those artists who I don't really even know how to classify - the tribal sounds of Sorne and Dead Can Dance; the strangely good, out of this world music of Captain Beefheart; the apocalyptic-but-hopeful sounds that burst forth from 20+ minute songs from Godspeed You Black Emperor!; the operatic rap-not-rap of CocoRosie - the list goes on. Of course, this musical name dropping would be incomplete if I did not include some of my Icelandic favorites! Sigur Ros, Mum, Bjork, Olaf Arnalds (not to be confused with Olafur Arnalds), Emiliana Torrini, Of Monsters and Men, Steindor Andersen, Amiina, etc., etc., etc.
My favorite musician of all time, however, may be Tom Waits. (Ask me again later... It will change.) By saying this, I'm forced to answer this VERY difficult question... What does he sound like? Now, though largely unknown by the "mainstream" (I promise, I am NOT a hipster), he is, in fact, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is regarded by many as one of the best songwriters of the 20th and 21st century. That being said, his music is DEFINITELY an acquired taste; not only is his instrumentation very off the wall in many songs, but his voice isn't conventionally great. But then again, neither was Johnny Cash's, nor is Win Butler's (of Arcade Fire). But I'm getting off on a tangent now. If you want a great explanation of his voice, look at this picture below!
Where was I going with this post.... Oh yeah!
Music, for me, is more than just sound. It's more than just something to listen to in the background and listen to now and then. No. For me, music is something that inspires, influences, and motivates. I honestly believe you can tell a lot about a person by what music they listen to. Not saying that you are any better or worse a person by listening to some music; just that every kind of iPod playlist tells a little bit about you.
I cannot put into words what music has done for me, but I believe that my love for music is a great example of how you can use your hobby to fortify your passion. As a leader, I gain a lot of influence from the music I listen to. Mostly, through the sound, development, and instrumentation. How an artist chooses to arrange a song takes a lot of careful thought, and I think those who take a risk sound a lot better than those who go with what has been done before. Lyrics do a lot for me, too. Take the song I'm listening to right now, for example: "Everything You Can Think Of" by Tom Waits. One line states that "We're fighting our way up dreamland's spine." This is basically saying that we are all striving to make our dreams come true. And that's just one example.
In short, when I listen to music, I feel like it seeps into my veins (weird, I know) and becomes and inherent part of who I am as a leader, and as a person. It inspires me to go my own path, and lead my own way, and be my own me. It gets me back on the right path when I feel like I may be getting lazy, or when I get too tired, or uninspired. My hobby has become a life-source, and it has helped me become who I am today. I believe that when two people listen to the same song, they hear something completely different. That is, if they let the music enter.
I hope that wasn't too much of a ramble! I'll leave you with a quote (or three) from the one and only Tom Waits. I think he has the best quotes.
"Everything is a potential instrument, it depends on how you use it. I remember I was doing Swordfishtrombones (one of his albums) and somebody took a stool - a metal stool - and started dragging it across the studio floor to move it out of the way. It sounded like bus brakes on a big city bus. So I like things that fall out of the spectrum of what we consider traditional instruments and acceptable sound. I love all that."
"If you get far enough away, you'll be on your way back home."
"You know I do field trips now. Well, I drive on field trips. I don't know, the children seem to like me as a driver. I have a lot of room in the car and I take the turns really fast. The radio's on full blast. They just scream and they love that. Well you know the most interesting one was, we took all these kids. I took about 30 kids to a music store. And I figured: "Well, okay I'll drive on that". And we got there and I'm kinda standing over by the pianos and I'm thinking well eh: "I'm gonna be recognized any minute now." Then I decided to move over by the percussion. And I found an interesting lighting situation. I'm ready. I'm ready for: "Aren't you that guy?". Nothing. I went over by the guitars and I waited. Nothing. I was a little let down. A week later they asked me to drive on another field trip. This time they are going to the dump. Well it's recycling and all that? Twelve guys surrounded my car! Go figure! Everybody knows me.. at the dump!"
Tell me, what are your hobbies? How do they affect your life?
Oh, and who are your favorite musicians? I'm always hungry for more!
I put the above paragraph in quotes because, as at least one reader will have noticed, those are NOT my words. I repeat: NOT. MY. WORDS. I stole them for three reasons.
1. To promote my friend's awesome blog. Check it out! (shelbyeckhardt.blogspot.com)
A. I am promoting her blog because she motivated me to start blogging at a more consistent pace!
2. To scare Shelby, making her think that I was plagiarizing.
3. To make a statement that I will be trying to, like Shelby, post every Thursday. (Sorry Shelby, I know that's your thing, but it's really convenient for me too!) Recently, I had declared I would be making one post a day. Quickly, I realized that was unrealistic, and it would simply make for a slew of ramblesome, dull posts with many incoherent conclusions and made up words (such as ramblesome).
So, without further ado, I begin my first Thursday post!
The past few nights, I have had a little bit of down time. By down time, I mean that I am too lazy to read a book as short as The Christmas Carol, simply because I know I have questions to answer about it for my summer reading assignment shortly after. Because of this, I have been able to do a little bit of hobby-ing, if you can call it that - that is, I've been listening to and discovering music ad nauseam.
Anyone who meets me quickly discovers my knack for listening to some "odd" music. In fact, when including fun trivia about myself when doing ice breakers in FFA, I almost always mention my affinity for Icelandic music. But it doesn't stop there. The music I listen to most often is likely to be the genres of folk and Americana, as well as all of their derivatives (The Tallest Man on Earth, Fleet Foxes, Shakey Graves, First Aid Kit, Brett Detar, Caravan of Thieves, Civil Wars... just to name a few). I could listen to my beloved post-rock albums from such bands as Mogwai, A Silver Mt. Zion, and Explosions in the Sky on a loop for hours. At night, I will often fall asleep to classical music (my favorites are Gymnopedie and Adagio for Strings). Many times, I even wake up with my headphones wrapped around my neck lightly. Hazardous? Nah... Dedication! Then, there are those artists who I don't really even know how to classify - the tribal sounds of Sorne and Dead Can Dance; the strangely good, out of this world music of Captain Beefheart; the apocalyptic-but-hopeful sounds that burst forth from 20+ minute songs from Godspeed You Black Emperor!; the operatic rap-not-rap of CocoRosie - the list goes on. Of course, this musical name dropping would be incomplete if I did not include some of my Icelandic favorites! Sigur Ros, Mum, Bjork, Olaf Arnalds (not to be confused with Olafur Arnalds), Emiliana Torrini, Of Monsters and Men, Steindor Andersen, Amiina, etc., etc., etc.
My favorite musician of all time, however, may be Tom Waits. (Ask me again later... It will change.) By saying this, I'm forced to answer this VERY difficult question... What does he sound like? Now, though largely unknown by the "mainstream" (I promise, I am NOT a hipster), he is, in fact, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is regarded by many as one of the best songwriters of the 20th and 21st century. That being said, his music is DEFINITELY an acquired taste; not only is his instrumentation very off the wall in many songs, but his voice isn't conventionally great. But then again, neither was Johnny Cash's, nor is Win Butler's (of Arcade Fire). But I'm getting off on a tangent now. If you want a great explanation of his voice, look at this picture below!
Where was I going with this post.... Oh yeah!
Music, for me, is more than just sound. It's more than just something to listen to in the background and listen to now and then. No. For me, music is something that inspires, influences, and motivates. I honestly believe you can tell a lot about a person by what music they listen to. Not saying that you are any better or worse a person by listening to some music; just that every kind of iPod playlist tells a little bit about you.
I cannot put into words what music has done for me, but I believe that my love for music is a great example of how you can use your hobby to fortify your passion. As a leader, I gain a lot of influence from the music I listen to. Mostly, through the sound, development, and instrumentation. How an artist chooses to arrange a song takes a lot of careful thought, and I think those who take a risk sound a lot better than those who go with what has been done before. Lyrics do a lot for me, too. Take the song I'm listening to right now, for example: "Everything You Can Think Of" by Tom Waits. One line states that "We're fighting our way up dreamland's spine." This is basically saying that we are all striving to make our dreams come true. And that's just one example.
In short, when I listen to music, I feel like it seeps into my veins (weird, I know) and becomes and inherent part of who I am as a leader, and as a person. It inspires me to go my own path, and lead my own way, and be my own me. It gets me back on the right path when I feel like I may be getting lazy, or when I get too tired, or uninspired. My hobby has become a life-source, and it has helped me become who I am today. I believe that when two people listen to the same song, they hear something completely different. That is, if they let the music enter.
I hope that wasn't too much of a ramble! I'll leave you with a quote (or three) from the one and only Tom Waits. I think he has the best quotes.
"Everything is a potential instrument, it depends on how you use it. I remember I was doing Swordfishtrombones (one of his albums) and somebody took a stool - a metal stool - and started dragging it across the studio floor to move it out of the way. It sounded like bus brakes on a big city bus. So I like things that fall out of the spectrum of what we consider traditional instruments and acceptable sound. I love all that."
"If you get far enough away, you'll be on your way back home."
"You know I do field trips now. Well, I drive on field trips. I don't know, the children seem to like me as a driver. I have a lot of room in the car and I take the turns really fast. The radio's on full blast. They just scream and they love that. Well you know the most interesting one was, we took all these kids. I took about 30 kids to a music store. And I figured: "Well, okay I'll drive on that". And we got there and I'm kinda standing over by the pianos and I'm thinking well eh: "I'm gonna be recognized any minute now." Then I decided to move over by the percussion. And I found an interesting lighting situation. I'm ready. I'm ready for: "Aren't you that guy?". Nothing. I went over by the guitars and I waited. Nothing. I was a little let down. A week later they asked me to drive on another field trip. This time they are going to the dump. Well it's recycling and all that? Twelve guys surrounded my car! Go figure! Everybody knows me.. at the dump!"
Tell me, what are your hobbies? How do they affect your life?
Oh, and who are your favorite musicians? I'm always hungry for more!
Thursday, August 2, 2012
The Future... Uh-oh
Today, as I began my second day of my last year of summer band, I think it finally set in that I am a senior. That a year from now, I'll be slowly packing for college. I'll be on my own in the "real world".
This realization has made me really reflect on what I want to do with my life. And you know what I have decided?
I have no clue yet! But I'll let you know when I know!
Note: I think I may stop the every day posting. As you see, that can make for some boring posts. Maybe once a week?
This realization has made me really reflect on what I want to do with my life. And you know what I have decided?
I have no clue yet! But I'll let you know when I know!
Note: I think I may stop the every day posting. As you see, that can make for some boring posts. Maybe once a week?
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Let's Try This Again - Day 1
If you have been checking up on this blog at all, you have surely realized by now that I have not stayed very committed to it! I would love to have an excuse for the lack of posts, but there is no one to blame but myself.
I feel horrible about this! Absolutely dreadful! So, I firmly resolve this: I will make at least one post a day. Yes, you read that right! From here on out, whether it be long or short, exciting or dull, horribly boring or just normal boring, I WILL have something to say.
And that's that. This is Day 1. Hopefully Day 2 has a more interesting post. I've sort of changed my whole purpose for having a blog. Instead of trying so hard to write something that will impact others, I will just write my thoughts and "Eureka moments" with less eloquence (but just as much passion and care) in order to keep it simple, keep it real, and make it something that others can relate to.
Yeah. That was boring. But it only gets better from here, right?
I feel horrible about this! Absolutely dreadful! So, I firmly resolve this: I will make at least one post a day. Yes, you read that right! From here on out, whether it be long or short, exciting or dull, horribly boring or just normal boring, I WILL have something to say.
And that's that. This is Day 1. Hopefully Day 2 has a more interesting post. I've sort of changed my whole purpose for having a blog. Instead of trying so hard to write something that will impact others, I will just write my thoughts and "Eureka moments" with less eloquence (but just as much passion and care) in order to keep it simple, keep it real, and make it something that others can relate to.
Yeah. That was boring. But it only gets better from here, right?
Friday, July 13, 2012
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
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
Friday, June 15, 2012
Superhero. Super Who? Super YOU!
The above title was the theme for the 2012 Area III Leadership Camp this year. I must say, we could not have selected a more appropriate title.
You see, with the recent release of the box office hit "The Avengers", we had many idealistic superheros flying around in our minds. However, after Area Camp was over with, I realized that our predetermined definition of a superhero wasn't very realistic. Superheros don't fly, have super strength, or swing from skyscraper to skyscraper with spider webs. The superheros that truly exist and matter in our lives don't even have capes... Well, except for the ones that they fashioned out of pillow camps before camp started. The superheros that I know are people like the great District Officers that I got to meet and work with on June 13 and 14.
I learned so much from these officers, both within mine and Brooklynn's workshop, as well as watching how they interacted and worked with each other. I know that is cheesy sounding. When I had the people in charge of conferences and camps say that in the past, I always shrugged it off as something that they were supposed to say. But I now know that I can learn more from these eager leaders than I could from the most experienced leaders out there.
I'm not saying that the experienced ones are unimportant; I have learned SO much from them. Rather, this is a type of learning experience unparalleled to any you can get. In order to highlight what one can learn in this situation, I will share the most important lesson that was learned by me at Area Camp. One District Officer had said during one workshop rotation that her ultimate goal as an officer this year was simply to learn. She wanted to take in as many leadership skills, personal relationships, and professional qualities as she could in order to give back to those who believed in her abilities. This way, she could give that same passion and motivation to others who may have never wanted to previously.
So, that is what I want to do this year: learn. I want to learn, as well as inspire those who are already leaders to lead more; those who are aspiring leaders to become leaders; those who say they can't lead into individuals who say they can lead; and those who believe in only others into people who believe in others as well as themselves.
Superheros defy all expectations, so follow their lead and break free from the limits set on you by others. As the Texas FFA State Convention's theme says, "It Starts Here, It Starts Now." What will you do to make a difference?
You see, with the recent release of the box office hit "The Avengers", we had many idealistic superheros flying around in our minds. However, after Area Camp was over with, I realized that our predetermined definition of a superhero wasn't very realistic. Superheros don't fly, have super strength, or swing from skyscraper to skyscraper with spider webs. The superheros that truly exist and matter in our lives don't even have capes... Well, except for the ones that they fashioned out of pillow camps before camp started. The superheros that I know are people like the great District Officers that I got to meet and work with on June 13 and 14.
I learned so much from these officers, both within mine and Brooklynn's workshop, as well as watching how they interacted and worked with each other. I know that is cheesy sounding. When I had the people in charge of conferences and camps say that in the past, I always shrugged it off as something that they were supposed to say. But I now know that I can learn more from these eager leaders than I could from the most experienced leaders out there.
I'm not saying that the experienced ones are unimportant; I have learned SO much from them. Rather, this is a type of learning experience unparalleled to any you can get. In order to highlight what one can learn in this situation, I will share the most important lesson that was learned by me at Area Camp. One District Officer had said during one workshop rotation that her ultimate goal as an officer this year was simply to learn. She wanted to take in as many leadership skills, personal relationships, and professional qualities as she could in order to give back to those who believed in her abilities. This way, she could give that same passion and motivation to others who may have never wanted to previously.
So, that is what I want to do this year: learn. I want to learn, as well as inspire those who are already leaders to lead more; those who are aspiring leaders to become leaders; those who say they can't lead into individuals who say they can lead; and those who believe in only others into people who believe in others as well as themselves.
Superheros defy all expectations, so follow their lead and break free from the limits set on you by others. As the Texas FFA State Convention's theme says, "It Starts Here, It Starts Now." What will you do to make a difference?
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
And so it began...
On June 1, I left with my Area III Officer team for the Texas FFA State Leadership Conference for the Area Officers across the state of Texas. We left a day early so that we wouldn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn the next day, and we stayed in a hotel in Temple, meeting up with Area X while we were there. After eating at Five Guys together, as well as hanging out at the pool, we ended up all playing Spoons and other card games until around midnight. That is where what we call Area XIII began, and it was just the first group of many amazing individuals that I met and stayed with until we all left in a very bittersweet manner on June 5.
I could go on and on describing everything that we did. From the creation of Happy Gram folders to the time we all went crazy when creating our cup pyramids; from the panel discussion with very knowledgeable leaders in agriculture to the unveiling of the new 2013 Ford F-150 where the CEO of Ford Motors was present; from convincing the Dungeons & Dragons club to join FFA to advocating for my agvocation; from learning professionalism to how to facilitate (as well as how not to facilitate) a workshop; from the time a sprinkler turned on right as Hannah walked past it to the multiple times that we all rode the Struggle Bus; from three powerful Vespers to being an active part of a committee that could change the course of both the Texas and National FFA; from the crazy dances to the frigid cabins; and from getting to know our Current State Officers (CSOs) better to finally meeting all of the Incoming State Officers (ISOs). But instead of talking about those, I feel that it is much more important to talk about WHY we did these things, rather than WHAT they were.
Being elected to an Area office in the FFA should never be just a title that we wanted for recognition and praise. The members of this great organization didn't elect us for that. They elected us to serve this organization, to spread the word about agriculture, and to leave a positive influence on the lives of others. I think that this fact really hit me for the first time at SLC. I knew all of this beforehand, but now I realize the full extent of it.
The Ethical Leadership Fellows showed us a shocking video where they went out and interviewed random people in public about their knowledge of agriculture. To see that there are people who both don't care and don't know the full extent of agriculture came as a shock to me. One individual, when asked how agriculture had affected his life that day, responded with "I ate corn for lunch." Yes, albeit food is a part of agriculture, the fact that this was the only thing he thought was related to agriculture in his everyday life is a sad thing.
So, how does that relate to what I was saying? Area Officers, having the knowledge that we eat, wear, and live agriculture daily, are duty bound to spread this message. If there are adults in our world who don't know these things, then we must work tirelessly to ensure that the next generation of adults do. We must continuously educate ourselves on the many happenings within agriculture, and we must be the leaders to promote this most important field to the public. We are the image of the FFA, and it is up to us to inspire, motivate, and educate. Leadership is influence, and that is what we must leave.
The support system that I have gained because of SLC is amazing. The 73 other Area Officers, the 10 CSOs, the 10 ISOs, all of the speakers, and the staff of the Texas FFA that I was with showed me what it takes to be a passionate and driven leader. I had believed in the abilities of them to make a difference, and they helped me believe in my own ability to make a difference. The world is a growing place and, with that, agriculture is having to expand at a faster rate than ever. I am now ready, with the help of all of these other brilliant people, to provide the same inspiration to the rest of the FFA and, with that, those outside of this organization as well. It's not going to be an easy job always, but, as Mr. Aaron Alejandro (Executive Director of the Texas FFA Foundation) said, "When your values are clear, your choices are easy." I'm ready for the year as an Area Officer.
I have one thing to say about what it takes to kindle change in this world... "It starts here. It starts NOW."
I hope this post wasn't too redundant and superfluous. I'm still catching up on some sleep!
I could go on and on describing everything that we did. From the creation of Happy Gram folders to the time we all went crazy when creating our cup pyramids; from the panel discussion with very knowledgeable leaders in agriculture to the unveiling of the new 2013 Ford F-150 where the CEO of Ford Motors was present; from convincing the Dungeons & Dragons club to join FFA to advocating for my agvocation; from learning professionalism to how to facilitate (as well as how not to facilitate) a workshop; from the time a sprinkler turned on right as Hannah walked past it to the multiple times that we all rode the Struggle Bus; from three powerful Vespers to being an active part of a committee that could change the course of both the Texas and National FFA; from the crazy dances to the frigid cabins; and from getting to know our Current State Officers (CSOs) better to finally meeting all of the Incoming State Officers (ISOs). But instead of talking about those, I feel that it is much more important to talk about WHY we did these things, rather than WHAT they were.
Being elected to an Area office in the FFA should never be just a title that we wanted for recognition and praise. The members of this great organization didn't elect us for that. They elected us to serve this organization, to spread the word about agriculture, and to leave a positive influence on the lives of others. I think that this fact really hit me for the first time at SLC. I knew all of this beforehand, but now I realize the full extent of it.
The Ethical Leadership Fellows showed us a shocking video where they went out and interviewed random people in public about their knowledge of agriculture. To see that there are people who both don't care and don't know the full extent of agriculture came as a shock to me. One individual, when asked how agriculture had affected his life that day, responded with "I ate corn for lunch." Yes, albeit food is a part of agriculture, the fact that this was the only thing he thought was related to agriculture in his everyday life is a sad thing.
So, how does that relate to what I was saying? Area Officers, having the knowledge that we eat, wear, and live agriculture daily, are duty bound to spread this message. If there are adults in our world who don't know these things, then we must work tirelessly to ensure that the next generation of adults do. We must continuously educate ourselves on the many happenings within agriculture, and we must be the leaders to promote this most important field to the public. We are the image of the FFA, and it is up to us to inspire, motivate, and educate. Leadership is influence, and that is what we must leave.
The support system that I have gained because of SLC is amazing. The 73 other Area Officers, the 10 CSOs, the 10 ISOs, all of the speakers, and the staff of the Texas FFA that I was with showed me what it takes to be a passionate and driven leader. I had believed in the abilities of them to make a difference, and they helped me believe in my own ability to make a difference. The world is a growing place and, with that, agriculture is having to expand at a faster rate than ever. I am now ready, with the help of all of these other brilliant people, to provide the same inspiration to the rest of the FFA and, with that, those outside of this organization as well. It's not going to be an easy job always, but, as Mr. Aaron Alejandro (Executive Director of the Texas FFA Foundation) said, "When your values are clear, your choices are easy." I'm ready for the year as an Area Officer.
I have one thing to say about what it takes to kindle change in this world... "It starts here. It starts NOW."
I hope this post wasn't too redundant and superfluous. I'm still catching up on some sleep!
Area III Dog (CSO), Pup (ISO), and Fleas (Area Officers)
Here I am posing with the 2011-2012 Texas FFA State Officer Team!
"Area XIII"
Kelli Neuman and me. She is the CSO who inspired this blog and is a pretty awesome chick!
Peyton Gilbert and me. He is the Texas FFA President and one of my biggest role models. Thanks for all you've done for me and the Texas FFA!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)