Over Analyzing?
My 4-H dairy judging coaches would always stress to their teams that when we went to contests, we always needed to remember that over-analyzing a class would get us into trouble. That wasn't something we as a team tended to do too much at the county and area levels of competition, but it was quite a challenge to not over-analyze when we were judging elite cattle at the state or national level of compeition.
As I reminisce and think about those words that my coaches drilled into my mind, I think sometimes in my life, in general, I tend to over-analyze many things. Deciding whether to continue my education, choosing which classes to take, analyzing the potential I have to reach greater heights, etc., I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how much and how often I catch my self being too critical about life and its circumstances.
Each of us face challenges and obstacles that don't always bring the best out in us, sometimes they bring things out that we never knew were bottled up inside of us. However, no matter how often or how little you think about your life, the ups and downs, the highs and lows, there are always going to be the little things that make us analyze a situation until we have make our brain hurt.
On dairy farms, for those who show competitively throughout the year at various shows, these next few months are critical. Now is the time we start to push the individuals who have the potential and possibility to compete with the other great cattle. Many times, when I am home from college, I find myself wandering from heifer lot to heifer lot to the baby calves who enjoy the sun when it shines by running in and out of their hutch, trying to see who has the most potential to withstand the competition of the shows ahead. Some days I see one that I think would be ridiculous if we didn't take her to a show, but then again a weekend later, I catch myself thinking, "Is she really at that level where she can compete and do well?"
However, the more I think about it, the less I begin to care if my beloved Holstein cattle are good enough to enter the show ring capturing the highest honors one could receive. I begin to thank God for the healthy calves, heifers and cows that we have raised and have yet to raise.
Early mornings, late nights, daily chores and no vacations are only a few words that describe the life of an individual who is born and raised into a family that farms. There are many individuals that don't realize the time, commitment, care, love, and emotion we put into taking care of these bovine creatures. As the battle continues with PETA and other animal rights affiliations, we must not worry so much about analyzing the next calf that is born to see how much potential it has to walk on the colored mulch, but focus on the consumers before things get worse.
As I reminisce and think about those words that my coaches drilled into my mind, I think sometimes in my life, in general, I tend to over-analyze many things. Deciding whether to continue my education, choosing which classes to take, analyzing the potential I have to reach greater heights, etc., I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how much and how often I catch my self being too critical about life and its circumstances.
Each of us face challenges and obstacles that don't always bring the best out in us, sometimes they bring things out that we never knew were bottled up inside of us. However, no matter how often or how little you think about your life, the ups and downs, the highs and lows, there are always going to be the little things that make us analyze a situation until we have make our brain hurt.
On dairy farms, for those who show competitively throughout the year at various shows, these next few months are critical. Now is the time we start to push the individuals who have the potential and possibility to compete with the other great cattle. Many times, when I am home from college, I find myself wandering from heifer lot to heifer lot to the baby calves who enjoy the sun when it shines by running in and out of their hutch, trying to see who has the most potential to withstand the competition of the shows ahead. Some days I see one that I think would be ridiculous if we didn't take her to a show, but then again a weekend later, I catch myself thinking, "Is she really at that level where she can compete and do well?"
However, the more I think about it, the less I begin to care if my beloved Holstein cattle are good enough to enter the show ring capturing the highest honors one could receive. I begin to thank God for the healthy calves, heifers and cows that we have raised and have yet to raise.
Early mornings, late nights, daily chores and no vacations are only a few words that describe the life of an individual who is born and raised into a family that farms. There are many individuals that don't realize the time, commitment, care, love, and emotion we put into taking care of these bovine creatures. As the battle continues with PETA and other animal rights affiliations, we must not worry so much about analyzing the next calf that is born to see how much potential it has to walk on the colored mulch, but focus on the consumers before things get worse.
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