The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
-by Natalie (Dowell) Schmitt - mnschmitt@jetup.net
Words of Wisdom
We're half way done with graduations in our family. Two down and two to go! Michael, Andrew and a whole group of great kids, who have gathered around our family table these past four years, are heading out to make their mark on the world. It is going to be fun watching the places they will go and the things they will do. It makes me feel young and adventurous again, but reality hits when the alarm goes off in the morning and the cows are waiting to be served another day!
Caps and gowns will be serving a dual purpose this graduation season. Not only will they symbolize the accomplishments of our young ones, they will also be a necessity in keeping warm. Talking with a friend down by Willmar, he described the day as being a wonderful January thaw:"a few flurries in the morning, brisk northwest winds, and 41 degrees on his truck gauge. Too bad it is mid-May!" At least we won't have to fan ourselves with program to stay awake in an overcrowded and sweltering gym as we struggle to listen to yet another commencement speaker share their wisdom on life and success.
Do these young speakers really know what they are talking about? Looking back, I didn't have a clue of what was ahead for my life. I am beginning to realize that high school and college years were just warm up laps and graduation is really the starting line for a very long endurance race.
I have to admit, the speakers at the college graduation were spot on. The speeches were carefully crafted, enthusiastically presented and best of all, short! The young lady, Chelsea Vilchis, made a very good point in her address. "Don't just follow your passion; bring passion to your life." Not bad advice. My passion was talking and farming. Since my uncle and dad didn't think girls should farm, I had to take my passion to a new career in broadcasting and "farm the airwaves." Over time my passions and focus have changed, but my enthusiasm has not.
The morning radio crew was trying to come up with four word commencement speeches. Only one stuck out in my mind as very profound. "Graciously pay your dues." Wow! Be thankful for the challenges which shape your attitude and the struggles which push you to grow. Everyone has had to pay their dues to be where they are today. Be thankful to have the chance.
I was reading a website with quotes from graduation speeches. Some were serious, and others were pointedly funny. Many talked about success and moving forward. Some I heard many years ago during my graduations, but my interpretation of the words has changed over the years as I have paid my dues. What really surprises me is how these words of wisdom can be used on our farm.
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." Winston Churchill. (Even when things go wrong, you still love what you do and can't imagine doing anything else.)
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant." Robert Louis Stevenson. (A farmer at heart.)
"Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction." Oprah Winfrey. (If this doesn't work, we'll try something else.)
"You're not going to get very far in life based on what you already know. You're going to advance in life by what you're going to learn after you leave here." Charlie Munger. (Sometimes you have to leave the farm to learn other ways of doing the same things.)
"We can do not great things, only small things with great love." Mother Teresa. ( A great cow must first be a small calf cared for with love and attention.)
"In order for a turtle to move, it has to stick its neck out. There are going to be times in life when you're going to have to stick your neck out. There will be challenges and instead of hiding in a shell, you'll have to go out and meet them." Dr. Ruth (We stick our neck out every spring as we start another growing season.)
"If your uniform isn't dirty, you haven't been in the game." Ben Bernanke. (If your farm clothes are clean, it must be the start of a new day!)
As strains for "Pomp and Circumstances" slowly escort the new graduates out into the "real world", I leave you with my favorite words of wisdom.
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything they have." -Unknown.