I could provide a long list of downers. \u00a0These damn animals called goats continue to provide a litany of downers. \u00a0But, I don’t want to be in that bad of mood and talk about these beasts. \u00a0So, the downer that I will discuss is a real deal.<\/p>\n
I got inside after dark and turned on the tube. \u00a0WHAT?! \u00a0 The Empire Strikes Back is on. \u00a0I mean, I’ve only seen it a couple hundred times. \u00a0But it is still awesome! \u00a0The downer\u2026..happened when I went to get my real-life light saber (no, it doesn’t actually cut—Oh, how I wish—but it makes all the sounds when brandished like Vader uses his. \u00a0Yes, it is kind of bad ass.) \u00a0But, the batteries were dead and need recharged. \u00a0RUSM?! \u00a0The ending of the movie was just as I remembered it, but it would have been better with a fully operational light saber. \u00a0Some of us have real problems!<\/p>\n
Now to the uppers! \u00a0 I had to go pig shopping this weekend. \u00a0This should be a downer but I got to spend the day with a couple of friends driving to and from these sales. \u00a0The Greers and I made it to 2 pig sales and then picked up a couple of bucks near I35 and then took delivery of a pigger or two. \u00a0Big fun. \u00a0Then on Sunday, several crews were here to swap bucks. \u00a0Then I headed to another pig sale and then to practice with a group of FFA kids. \u00a0All uppers!<\/p>\n
As I sat here depressed about my dead light saber, I checked the socially transmitted disease known as Facebook. \u00a0Sure enough, there was a nice smart ass student post about National FFA Convention and her award. \u00a0She had received the American FFA Degree. \u00a0Big upper!<\/p>\n
Too often in my travels and discussions with people from across the country, I hear comments about I didn’t do such and such because my ag teacher or because my coach or because\u2026whatever. \u00a0Homey don’t play that! \u00a0It is up to you.<\/p>\n
I look back on my FFA career. \u00a0It was really good and I learned a lot. \u00a0I learned a lot from my Dad who was not an ag teacher. \u00a0But, I learned from others as well. \u00a0My main mentor was a retired ag teacher, \u00a0Mr. W. E. Bradley. \u00a0Then Mr. Hughes had a positive influence on me. \u00a0My senior year, I had a rookie ag teacher, Maxie Myers. \u00a0He tried to do right. \u00a0He became a successful teacher and then moved on to being a lawyer. \u00a0Makes sense. \u00a0All three of these guys still influence me even though I only see one of them on occasion.<\/p>\n
As I look back, there were numerous state proficiency awards that I could have been successful in. \u00a0But, I didn’t know about them. \u00a0Was that the teachers fault? \u00a0No. \u00a0Myself nor my parents pushed or looked for any opportunities like that. \u00a0I didn’t get the American FFA Degree. \u00a0I knew about it but had my mind on other things. \u00a0We named that one Kela. \u00a0I had a herd of cows, several sows and numerous jobs. \u00a0It shouldn’t have been a problem to earn. \u00a0But, I didn’t know enough nor really care about it. \u00a0My fault\u2026not the teachers.<\/p>\n
My point, kids and parents should talk to their teachers and coaches and inquire about the possibilities that are out there. \u00a0Almost all teachers will help you but it really helps a teacher to know what it is that you want to do.<\/p>\n
I have watched a crew of Georgia FFA members via Facebook. \u00a0I know the ag teacher, have met the parents and the kids. \u00a0I have witnessed this crew in action as they traveled to livestock judging camps, \u00a0hunted show animals and I have had the honor to bow my head in prayer with these kids, their families and ag teacher as these kids led the blessing before supper in an IHOP. \u00a0No, they did not end up as national champs, but this crew was in the hunt in the creed speaking contest, agriscience and livestock judging. \u00a0Dude, it was an upper watching and hoping for them. \u00a0I am proud just to know them. \u00a0And it is an upper knowing that their crew, and hundreds just like them are out there across this great land.<\/p>\n
Let the media focus on them and their kind instead of the crap that our politics and professional athletes give us. \u00a0Now that would truly be an upper.<\/p>\n
And at any time that you want to be a downer, call me and I will gladly give you a bunch of reasons that you can take to the bank that there is a lot of good around us. \u00a0And it is up to each and every one of us to find the good. \u00a0And if you don’t like that, I can tell which direction to shove it \u2026\u2026and that would be UP!<\/p>\n
Stupid question time. \u00a0 Which way is a duck? \u00a0Nope. \u00a0Ducks fly up. \u00a0I know. \u00a0Stupid.<\/p>\n
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I could provide a long list of downers. \u00a0These damn animals called goats continue to provide a litany of downers. \u00a0But, I don’t want to be in that bad of mood and talk about these beasts. \u00a0So, the downer that I will discuss is a real deal. I got inside […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1863"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1866,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863\/revisions\/1866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/kellnlivestock.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}