Cooties to Caring

"Ewww boys/girls have cooties!"

This statement has been familiar to each and every one of us for at least a small period of our lives. I'll never forget the time in middle school when boys and girls finally decided to like each other. This led us to form friendships that have stood the test of time and support each other regardless of our differences.

Fast forward about 10 years after the ‘cooties’ phase, and you will see 73 state FFA officers from around the country have the opportunity to travel to South Africa! Throughout this trip, we saw and experienced food, views, people, and so much more that we were not familiar with! The sights were some of the most beautiful I had ever seen and the food took me a step outside of my comfort zone. However, if we jump back to the moment we were stepping on the plane to fly to South Africa, joy was far from the feeling I was experiencing.  

Anxiety, loneliness, and resentment are what I just couldn’t seem to shake on the long flight across the Atlantic Ocean. As we landed, I felt shaky and wanted to go home. This country was hot (nothing like Minne-snow-ta), had food I wasn’t familiar with, and scary animals like baboons. The realization hit me that I was feeling homesick, and I did for the next few days of the trip. However, I couldn’t figure out why this was; I was never homesick, even when I moved into college, went to camps, etc. Why was this happening now, when I was surrounded with old and new friends?

While on the trip, we had small groups with adult leaders we debriefed with each night. Countless times in our small groups, we talked about what similarities there were between our countries, but I always seemed to be focusing more on the differences. It was just like back in elementary school when we thought boys weren’t like us and we weren’t willing to see that we were actually similar in some ways. It’s not always wrong to see the differences; after all, that’s human nature. However, an average person can easily identify how two people or places are different. But, it takes a true leader to fit the puzzle pieces together to find similarities. When I started to realize this, I knew something had to change, or the rest of the trip would be miserable.

As I continued to travel, I thought of South Africa as my home and put forth my greatest effort to point out the similarities between the two countries. Kind people, beautiful views, great friends, and delicious hamburgers were just a few of those commonalities that eventually helped me feel like I was truly welcome in the beautiful country of South Africa.

This can also relate to our lives as we meet new people. Often times, we look at others and immediately see the differences they have from ourselves, whether that be hair, skin color, personality, family background, or interests/passions/hobbies. We judge people in the first seven seconds we meet them, but think about how meaningful that could be if in those seven seconds we recognized a similarity.

As we leave for our trips on spring break and in the future, let’s remember that the country, or state, we are visiting isn’t all that different from our own. As we travel throughout our lives, if we recognize the things we have in common with others and the places we go, we can be united and see the beauty in all people and places.

Think of a time and place when you were homesick. What similarities could you have recognized between home and the destination?

How will you make an effort this week to recognize the similarities you have with someone else?

Stationed by the door,

Maddie Weninger

Arachnids, Academics & Answers

I am deathly afraid of spiders. You know those giant barn spiders with those beady little eyes that bear right down into your soul? Those are the WORST. And they show up overnight and decide to create their intricate webs over my open feed bags I need to get into to feed my show calves. (My stomach is tying in knots and goosebumps are forming on my arms just thinking about them.)

Tears were inevitable for the first half of the school day in kindergarten for me. The first day I didn’t cry, my teacher sent a note home with me to my parents - that was in February (and school started in September). I was so afraid of what I was missing at home. My mom would have to be sitting on the back step exactly where I left her when I got off the bus, and she would tell me that is where she sat all day and “...absolutely nothing had happened on the farm.” While I eventually started to like school - love it actually - the thought of moving to another building to start the 4th, 6th, and 9th grades was terrifying. The idea of starting high school was hideous; the intimidating height of upperclassmen and imminent stress of the never-ending class load wasn’t exactly something I was looking forward to.

Here's a glimpse at what my weeks look like.

My biggest fear, though, is the unknown of the future. I make lists - for everything. I try to plan out everything as much as possible. Details are crucial and I need to know as much as possible in advance; preparedness is something I thrive on. Setting goals and moving in that constant direction is a path I rarely stray from. But I’ve learned tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Fear can be so powerful. It can paralyze us from daily life and steal away incredible opportunities placed in front of us. But when we push past what scares us, we are able to learn, grow, and pursue our passions, goals and dreams. Sometimes other people push us out of our comfort zones, sometimes we don’t have a choice and are placed in a new environment where we have to face our fear, and sometimes we have to make the conscious decision to challenge ourselves to go beyond the fear.  

It’s easy to stick to what we know and what’s comfortable - but until we face our fears, we will never know what lies on the other side. Maybe you love to play basketball, and you’ve been working on a new move on the court, but you are too scared to try it out in a game. Once you feel prepared, take the leap of faith - face your fear one step at a time. One of my favorite quotes is:

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”

What do you fear the most? What is holding you back? Is it the uncertainty of the outcome? Or maybe the rejection or hurt that might accompany the risk? Why? How will you face your fear?

Everyday, we make the decision to stick to our normal routine or live the day as if it might be our last. Facing those barn spiders is scary to me, but if I don’t, I know I will never be able to accomplish my goals in the show barn. Having teachers, parents, and friends support and push me through moving to a new school or trying something new has led to some pretty amazing opportunities. If I hadn’t started high school, I wouldn’t have been involved in FFA; and then I never would have had the incredible opportunities to travel the world, meet so many incredible people, or discover and pursue my passion. And being prepared only gets you so far - my teammates have taught me the importance (and the fun) of “winging it” once in a while. And yes, the future is scary, but that is just part of life’s adventure and it's all about the attitude we have to embrace it.

Stationed by the ear of corn, 

Kylee

Something Good in Everyday

So a life update on Spencer. If you read my last blog (which I hope you did), I talked about my goal for this year and how I wanted to make everyday worth it, so at the end of the year I wanted a visual representation of how 2018 went. Well, I have been very good at filling out my year in pixels and plan on continuing with this little project of mine. (It's not too late to join!, you can start at anytime in the year.) I am very proud of the chart I made, I have mine layed out to be the following:

Top 10 Days: Teal 

Great Days : Purple

Good Days: Blue

Bad Days: Green

Terrible Days: Orange

Worst 10 Days: Red

I find a little joy at the end of each day when I fill it out, and get to see the little teal, purple, and blue boxes grow. Filling in  my boxes day by day, they remind me of all the good, happy, joyful things that happened on those days. However, this week was different. Up until this week, all of my days had been good, great, and even two top ten days! I finally had a bad day, and it was a tough pill to swallow. For a few days, I couldn't admit to myself that it was a bad day and couldn't bring myself to fill in the little box with green. I had felt like I had let myself down; like I had failed my goal of making everyday “worth it.”

Then I was reminded of some truth by a quote I saw. “Everyday may not be a good day, but there is something good in everyday.” We all lose sight of our goals at some point, and by not filling in my bad day in, I had lost sight of the purpose of this yearly summary. My goal was not trying to have every day be a good or great day, but it was to make sure I was reminded that I have the choice everyday to make it a good day. It is the bad days that give us something to compare the good days to.

My bad day might have been filled with stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, preparation for a big exam, and words I cannot take back. But that day was also filled with working out with my teammate Kylee at the gym, talking about our days, the things to come in the week, and building our friendship and trust. It was dinner with friends while laughing about good times had that weekend. It was peace when I sat down for the first time to enjoy a breath of fresh air and laughing with my teammate after our weekly team meeting.

During this busy season of our lives, it is easy to find all the things that go wrong in one day, but it is important to remember the good things that happened that day. Trust me when I say they can be hard to find, but I promise they are there; you only have to look. Next time you find yourself thinking or telling a friend about all the things that didn't go right that day, stop and think of all the good that happened too. Find someone who will hold you accountable to this; someone who will listen to your bad days, but also tell you to switch your mind set and think of all the good things.  

I now have filled in that little box green, and it will serve to me as a reminder that it is okay to have bad days, that everyday might not be a good day, but there truly is something good in everyday.

Stationed by the Emblem of Washington, 

Spencer Flood 

Home Away From Home

     

Sometimes I wonder who ever came up with the idea of moving. It’s a weird concept honestly. Picking up entire groups of people or families and taking them from one spot in the world to another, leaving everything familiar behind. I actually have come to know this concept pretty well. In the time since I was a child, I’ve seen the snow capped mountains of Colorado fade into the flat corn filled fields of Nebraska and the narrow hiking trails of Montana merge with the heavily wooded forests of northern Minnesota. However, with all this sporadic moving, it makes it seem as if there is truly no such thing as home.

     On January 21st 2018, the news was official. The DeMuth family was picking up and moving AGAIN to an even weirder destination: Wisconsin. However, this time is a little different because I am not going with. With the news came worried texts from family, apologetic conversations with friends, stressful packing, and one or two utter breakdowns. During these breakdowns, I continually asked myself the hard questions:

How could this happen again?

What am I going to do without my parents?

Where am I going to stay?

Will I even have a home?

     All of these questions pressed in my mind as I started packing my life into cardboard boxes yet again. Sensing a need for a break, I sat back on my heater and paged through scribbled words in my journal picturing the adventures. I filled the pages and read up on my winter visit to the Battle Lake

FFA chapter. I remembered everything so clearly, from getting lost on a forgotten dirt road to arriving at a stranger’s doorstep. However, Sage did not remain a stranger for long. She opened her home to me, sharing dog kisses and her foreign language skills, along with plenty of laughs. The next morning, we drove to breakfast with the entire Battle Lake officer team. I sat and listened to the outrageous stories and watched as smiles appeared on every face, including my own.

     It wasn’t until later that I realized this is what home really is. In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, home is described as ‘a place of residence;’ however, I believe the definition is a little deeper. To me, home is more of a feeling. Home is what I felt during breakfast that day. Home is when we are in a situation where we feel like we belong, like we’re valued and are needed there, because the people there make us feel that way. Home does not have to be one specific place. Home can be in

your house, your barn, your locker room, your best friend’s car, or even your ag room. What matters is how the people around you make you feel at home.

     As FFA members, we know this idea of home all too well, as well as what it feels like to not be at home. When you think about it, that’s why we try and create home for others, because we know the feeling. Next time you see a freshman, someone starting their first day at school, a shy competitor entering the show ring, or even someone having a rough day, try to create home for them. We can ask them about their interests and pair them into an FFA event that matches those, listen to their favorite crazy story from the show ring, or we can invite them for coffee with our friends after school. We may not be able to create a physical home for someone, but we can create the feeling.

Stationed by the flag,

Eleora DeMuth

Attitude of Gratitude

Emerging from the airplane after a 17-hour flight, 74 State FFA Officers entered a nation halfway across the world as a part of the International Leadership Seminar for State Officers. South Africa would become our home for the next ten days while we explored and learned from the culture, history, nature, and agriculture of the country. We visited farms, toured historic areas, spotted African wildlife, and enjoyed stories from the amazing people we met. I know that I enjoyed learning about all of the things that were different from Minnesota - driving on the left side of the road, having eleven official languages, farming ostriches, and eating continental style. However, there was one difference I really struggled to wrap my head around.

Using empty water bottles, this display
showed the water remaining in the dam.

When we arrived in the coastal city of Cape Town, we were told to do our best to conserve the water we used. Turn off the faucets. Take short showers. Reuse towels. The city dam was at 30% (now 27%) capacity, and due to the severe drought in the area. The city and suburbs were at level 6 water restrictions which impact the 3.75 million people that live there. The water levels were critically low, so low in fact that there is a “day zero” when the city is projected to run out of water completely. The date was set for April 22nd but has since been moved up to April 12th. On April 12th, unless they receive more rain, the taps will run dry and Cape Town will have no water.

 I was blown away to hear this during our visit.  Everywhere we went, we saw signs and posters encouraging water conservation. The farmers we met talked about their irrigation limits. Our hotel had closed the pool until further notice, and they encouraged us to turn off the shower while we put shampoo in our hair. Until I experienced Cape Town, I had never fully considered how grateful I was for the fresh, clean, abundant water here in Minnesota. Now every time I turn on a faucet, I remember to be grateful for this simple resource.

Though Cape Town is struggling in terms of water, they are not struggling in terms of gratitude. Even on the brink of a crisis, the people of Cape Town smile and appreciate the other things that they have. This was one of the most amazing aspects of my time in South Africa. Those that were struggling with the drought still found the things in their life worth being happy about. Often we have many things in our lives we don’t take the time to be grateful for. From the bigger things in our lives like families, friends, education, opportunities, health, water, and food, to the smaller things like a warm winter coat or the technology you are using to read this right now, we have so much to be grateful for. The next time we use water, whether to wash our hands or take a shower, we can think about those in Cape Town and take a moment to remember all the things that we are grateful for in our lives. When we are grateful for what we do have, we are usually happier, more satisfied with our lives, and less in want of what we don’t have. No matter our situation, we can go out of our way to have an attitude of gratitude each day.

 Stationed beneath the rising sun,

Katie

Regulating Our"cell"ves

Earlier this year I started college at South Dakota State University where I began taking Biology 101 and Crop Production with labs. I knew that biology might be difficult, considering science isn’t really my strong suit. However, I figured it was better to get this class done, so I didn’t put it off to the last minute. On the other hand, I have loved plants for years and knew Crop Production Lab would be the class for me!

For the first few weeks, it seemed as if these classes were going hand in hand as far as content goes. We began learning about meristems in Crop Production Lab, which I had learned about in a class in high school, so I was very confident with the concept. For those of you who are unfamiliar with meristems, they are cells that:

“Divide rapidly and are considered to be indeterminate, which means that they do not possess any defined end fate.”

Places we would find meristems would be at the tip top of the plant, at the tip of roots, and in the axil of the plant (where branches would grow). Do you ever notice that plants grow a whole lot faster than we do? It’s because of those meristems! Plants need them to get really big, really fast and the growth potential is limitless!

On the other hand, while we were learning about meristems in Crop Production Lab, we were learning about cancer and tumors in biology. I thought the content seemed to be splitting, but found out that the concepts of meristems and tumors really aren’t that different. Tumors are:

“a swelling of a part of the body, generally without inflammation, caused by an abnormal growth of tissue, whether benign or malignant.”

Seeing these two similarities, a question popped into my head: Why is it so desirable to see plant cells divide rapidly, but in humans, this growth can be deadly? Animal cells don’t mind what plant cells do, because their ability to function is not dependent on those other cells. However, humans are completely different. How many times in our lives do we look at other people and want something they have? Whether it be their characteristics, strengths, family life, money, possessions, or something else, we are so quick to want. Sometimes those things aren’t necessarily good for us or meant to be for us, just like the cells for plants versus animals.

I will never forget that while growing up, I wanted whatever my sister had. I remember one specific time when I was in 8th grade that my sister, as a 10th grader, was asked to be a part of the Agricultural Communications team competing at National FFA Convention. I was jealous to say the least. I remember being angry that she was asked to be a part of that team. I thought to myself: 'What did my sister have over me that she got to be a part of it and I didn’t?'

For a long time I didn’t understand why I wasn’t a part of the team. Are my skills not good enough? Am I too young? Do they think I can’t handle it? Then, when the results came for the Agricultural Communications team after they competed, we found out that Abbey received 4th place individually! In the nation! I was astounded! I couldn’t believe she could accomplish something so amazing!

As I look back and remember those jealous feelings, I see that I was looking only at what Abbey was good at and not the strengths I had that made me unique. (Also, I recently found out that online websites, flyers, and other creative media designs are not my forte.)

We need to be more like those cells that regulate themselves in different ways based on our abilities and talents instead of comparing ourselves to others. Plant and animal cells both have huge strengths that make them unique, just like Abbey and I do. Animal cells are much more flexible and a better fit for living things that move. Plant cells are rigid to keep plants rooted and perform photosynthesis to produce food for the plants.

Knowing what is good for us is a challenge, but taking time to focus on our own strengths instead of those of others is the first step that will take us to success. This week, I challenge you to take some time out of your schedule to look at the aspects of your life and focus on what YOU are good at. What can you do to find activities that will make you thrive in this New Year? How can you use your unique strengths?

Stationed by the Door,

Maddie Weninger

"This is Me"

Going back to visit my high school over Christmas break, feelings and memories came rushing back. Let me take you back with me…

Freshman year was filled with nervousness and new opportunities while I tried to maintain what I enjoyed most. My time after school was spent in the barn in the fall helping family prepare for our annual sale, the gym in the winter playing basketball, and in the shotput and discus rings in the spring. School remained pretty easy for me and I started to discover what FFA truly had to offer me as I competed in the Creed event. I considered myself to be pretty normal, doing normal “freshman student” things and staying busy. I loved school, the friends I had, and the activities I was involved in.  Mentors told me I should check into attending a Minnesota FFA summer conference, so I signed up for the State Leadership Conference for Chapter Leaders (not knowing at the time I was probably supposed to be at the State Greenhand Leadership Conference(SGLC)). At this conference, I met some of my closest friends to this day. Here, I was inspired by Valerie Earley’s words and actions and decided there and then, some day I was going to be just like Valerie.

Cross-dressing as a male in Litchfield High School Theatre’s fall production of “Singin’ in the Rain” was my first (and only) experience on the stage and start of my sophomore year. Theatre was something I always wanted to try, and I am glad I did when I did. I began to become more aware of the other opportunities FFA had for me and started doing more with FFA; meanwhile, I saw myself pulling away from my athletics and certain friends. Fast forward to mid-sophomore year when I made the decision to run for Region V office, thanks to the advice of some FFA advisors and mentors. Blessed with the opportunity to serve Region V, I knew my high school experience was about to become much different than my classmates - especially because at the time, many students didn’t even know we had an FFA chapter in our school.

Junior year brought challenging classes as half of my schedule were CIS (College in the School) classes and a balancing act as I started to become active with Minnesota FFA on the state level with experiences like APEx (which I highly recommend!), Region V leadership conferences, and creating an Ag in the Classroom program in Litchfield. While my friends were hanging out on the weekends and starting to be in “relationships,” I felt a bit lost. I found myself struggling to keep up with the schedule I had created for myself - including a social life, which was practically non-existent at this point. I started questioning my decision of committing myself to FFA. While I LOVED who I was and what I was doing at FFA events, as soon as I got back to school, I struggled. I started asking myself, Why did you decide to do this to yourself? You are about the furthest from a normal student ever. You have few close friends at school. All you do is study and go to FFA events. Suddenly, I didn’t love school anymore and wished I lived in about six different towns around the state of Minnesota to be closer to my FFA friends. When it came time to decide if I wanted to re-run for Region office, I knew this was my opportunity to spread my wings even more in FFA around the state and even around the country, or I could drop everything I knew. I ran for Region President, and with the support of many family, friends, mentors, and advisors was blessed to serve Region V and immersed myself even deeper into FFA.

The summer between my junior and senior year in high school, I spent almost four straight weeks with FFA for region officer trainings (ROLO and POWER), Washington Leadership Conference, and SGLC. I then spent five days with Minnesota FFA in the Miracle of Birth Center’s Chapter House and Leadership Center during the State Fair - and I loved every second of it. I knew I made the right decision and felt as though I was officially in the right place at the right time with the right people. I was finally excited for my future in agriculture. I mended some of the friendships I had broken during sophomore year and started senior year re-energized.

Senior year brought many absences from school (I think I could count the number of full weeks I went to school on two hands), a passion, and a purpose. My involvement increased in FFA even more and my schedule again began to pile up. Between Ag in the Classroom, serving as a National Convention delegate, going to Alabama through a chapter exchange program, and losing a close FFA friend from Texas, by Christmas break, I was so overwhelmed with school work, scholarship applications, and my FFA responsibilities, I was once again feeling the slump. (Maybe like you are feeling now…) After attending Delaware's State FFA Convention, I was refocused and re-energized. My spring only got busier with speech competitions, scholarship and awards nights, graduation prep, and then State Office responsibilities.  

FFA was not a popular thing to be a part of in my high school. In fact, my best friend Emma always told me, “There’s all those ‘ag’ kids that meet in the ag room each morning, and then there’s you. Why do you do it?” I would always tell her I was just an ag kid too, who happened to be in choir, tried out the musical, worked at home on the farm, showed livestock, played basketball for years, and was an honor roll student. I was no different than any of them; we all  had many rings in the fire, just like you.   

Oftentimes we get caught in the seemingly, never-ending cycle of school, sports, jobs, other activities like FFA or Student Council, and homework - and the mid-school year slump catches up with us. We might feel lost and out of place or simply overwhelmed with the amount of responsibility we have put upon ourselves (or feel others have put on us).

While FFA wasn’t the popular thing for me to do, I know I made the right decision for me. Each of us has to find what makes us happiest and makes us feel the most like us. It might not be the popular thing, but you will be happy - and that is what is most important. Going against the grain in high school was something I became very good at; I went from athlete to FFA and Speech nerd in less than two years. In the words of Andrea from RTR FFA, “No matter what anyone says or does, be you! You are perfectly imperfect and that’s what makes you unique in your own way. It can be hard to go against the crowd, but it’s so worth it! Honestly, if I didn’t start doing things I loved, I wouldn’t have pursued further into my FFA career and I wouldn’t have met the amazing people I now call my best friends. I also wouldn’t have been able to do the amazing things I have done. Everything good so far that has happened to me was because I chose to be my own person and pursue the things I loved! So just be you!”

Recently I went to the movie “The Greatest Showman” (if you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it!) and one of my favorite songs is titled, “This is Me.” My favorite part of the song is the chorus, so I’ll leave you with some lyrics that have recently hit me hard:

“When the sharpest words wanna cut me down

I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out

I am brave, I am bruised

I am who I’m meant to be, this is me

Look out ‘cause here I come

And I’m marching on to the beat I drum

I’m not scared to be seen

I make no apologies, this is me”

**(you can listen to the full song here: https://youtu.be/wEJd2RyGm8Q)

This year we have the opportunity to embrace our true selves and do what makes us happiest. Don’t let baggage and responsibilities weigh you down - no matter what, there is always tomorrow. Cling to the hope of a new day and enjoy life surrounded by those you love and love you.

Stationed by the ear of corn,

Kylee