The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
"Who we are" and "what we are" are two completely different questions. What signifies an action…farmer, plumber, accountant, salesman, etc….
Who is an adjective…kind, motherly, honest, trustworthy, etc…
I think many times we confuse the two questions and create an identity crisis.
Many farmers have the mind set that if they are not farming, then they are nothing. Our jobs shouldn't define who we are, but describe what we do. We become so tied up in our careers defining who we are that if we aren't doing that job, then we must be nothing.
It took me 500 miles to discover who I am. Growing up in Illinois, I was always known as "Larry Dowell's daughter". My dad was very active in Illinois agriculture and I was involved in the same world through broadcasting. I moved to MN to "escape" who I was and to be known for me. The highlight came when Max Armstrong of WGN Radio and co-host with Orion Samualson was introduced to my dad and he said, "are you Natalie Dowell's father?"
What am I today?
I am a writer/farmer/volunteer/4-H leader..etc… Those things will change through the years, but what won't change is who I am. I am a woman who loves to laugh, make new friends..etc
While I'm out on the tractor chopping stalks or disking, doing jobs that just require me to drive from one end of the field to the other. Putting on miles without really going anywhere.. I start to ponder and think out loud.
Does being a farmer define who you are? Or is it what you do?
As the kids are starting to explore career options, they are grappling with these questions as well.
Who am I?
What do I want to do with my life?
Will my job define who I am?
Will my job define my value and worth to society?
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As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.
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