The feeling of accomplishment
Recently submitting my first assignment for an agriculture newspaper, The Farmer's Exchange, getting to experience that overwhelming feel of accomplishment is a feeling unlike any other. I was thrilled when I got asked to cover Hoosier Beef Congress this past weekend, and felt like I was on top of the world. My nerves were all worked up in anticipation for the event that could possibly be the start of something great. With my sisters attending the event with me, I felt more confident knowing that if I screwed up, they would be there to help me figure out what went wrong.
Being a dairy girl, I had never attended Hoosier Beef Congress, but had known many individuals who had been there whether it was to participate in the showing events or just to go spend some money shopping at one of the greatest places in the world to shop! However, I had seen beef shows take place at the county and state levels, but to me, this event was something completely different than what I had expected! Arriving a few minutes later than what I had anticipated, I walked through the barns trying to see people I knew and possibly meet people I didn't know. As the showmanship competitions were about to start, I headed straight for the show ring, which was also something new to me. Instead of them showing in the Pepsi Coliseum like they during the Indiana State Fair, they set up a show ring in the middle part of the cattle barn. Totally spacing why they would do that, it occurred to me that it would be quite a site to see people and beef walking, well I guess it would be more like sliding, on the ice. The Pepsi Coliseum is used in the winter for a hockey rink!
The show began promptly and I was ready to start snapping photos. Forgetting the list of what my editor expected me to cover and take pictures of, I began to panic. However, my oldest sister told me, just do what you did at NAILE (North American International Livestock Exhibition) with Melissa or something similar to that. So, with a little bit of intimidation I felt from the IJBCA (Indiana Junior Beef Cattle Assn.) members and the ones in charge of the show, I went out there and somewhat had to pretend that these beef were dairy cattle. That gave me somewhat more comfort. As this fast paced, particular show continued, I begin to notice I was extremely nervous and started to wonder if I was doing things the right way. Occasionally taking a glance over at my sisters and them giving me that reassuring smile, I knew I had to continue taking pictures, for the coverage of this newspaper. People were depending on me to get this information accurate and these photos taken. So, I continued to snap photos and record results.
As the showmanship competition came to an end, I was somewhat relieved. I wasn't used to the fast pace style of this show, compared to my style of dairy shows that I am used to. After arriving home, I knew writing my article and getting results was something I needed to get started on asap. With the help of a close friend encouraging me to go talk to the office and see how I can get my results, I marched right up to that office, her along my side, and I figured out when and how I would be receiving those results. However, what I was told was incorrect. With some conflicts getting the results as soon as I needed them, I finally had my article done, photos sent, and photo captions written up. Whew! Someone once told me that if it weren't for deadlines, they would get nothing done! Amen to that! Looking back and being able to see my published work, I smile with the feeling of accomplishment and think about how much I was out of my comfort zone at Hoosier Beef Congress. Sometimes, that extra push and getting out of your comfort zone can result in something great! I encourage you to take that chance, do something you know you need to do, or take that extra step out of your comfort zone and you just may be surprised at what you can do!
Being a dairy girl, I had never attended Hoosier Beef Congress, but had known many individuals who had been there whether it was to participate in the showing events or just to go spend some money shopping at one of the greatest places in the world to shop! However, I had seen beef shows take place at the county and state levels, but to me, this event was something completely different than what I had expected! Arriving a few minutes later than what I had anticipated, I walked through the barns trying to see people I knew and possibly meet people I didn't know. As the showmanship competitions were about to start, I headed straight for the show ring, which was also something new to me. Instead of them showing in the Pepsi Coliseum like they during the Indiana State Fair, they set up a show ring in the middle part of the cattle barn. Totally spacing why they would do that, it occurred to me that it would be quite a site to see people and beef walking, well I guess it would be more like sliding, on the ice. The Pepsi Coliseum is used in the winter for a hockey rink!
The show began promptly and I was ready to start snapping photos. Forgetting the list of what my editor expected me to cover and take pictures of, I began to panic. However, my oldest sister told me, just do what you did at NAILE (North American International Livestock Exhibition) with Melissa or something similar to that. So, with a little bit of intimidation I felt from the IJBCA (Indiana Junior Beef Cattle Assn.) members and the ones in charge of the show, I went out there and somewhat had to pretend that these beef were dairy cattle. That gave me somewhat more comfort. As this fast paced, particular show continued, I begin to notice I was extremely nervous and started to wonder if I was doing things the right way. Occasionally taking a glance over at my sisters and them giving me that reassuring smile, I knew I had to continue taking pictures, for the coverage of this newspaper. People were depending on me to get this information accurate and these photos taken. So, I continued to snap photos and record results.
As the showmanship competition came to an end, I was somewhat relieved. I wasn't used to the fast pace style of this show, compared to my style of dairy shows that I am used to. After arriving home, I knew writing my article and getting results was something I needed to get started on asap. With the help of a close friend encouraging me to go talk to the office and see how I can get my results, I marched right up to that office, her along my side, and I figured out when and how I would be receiving those results. However, what I was told was incorrect. With some conflicts getting the results as soon as I needed them, I finally had my article done, photos sent, and photo captions written up. Whew! Someone once told me that if it weren't for deadlines, they would get nothing done! Amen to that! Looking back and being able to see my published work, I smile with the feeling of accomplishment and think about how much I was out of my comfort zone at Hoosier Beef Congress. Sometimes, that extra push and getting out of your comfort zone can result in something great! I encourage you to take that chance, do something you know you need to do, or take that extra step out of your comfort zone and you just may be surprised at what you can do!
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