So... do you like pickled eggs?

"Just off of the beaten path, a little dot a state road map; that's where I was born and where I'll die. Things move at a slower pace. No body's in a rat race. And these days that's a special way of life."

-Alabama

I am the poster-child for supporting Smalltown, USA. Well... the "poster-woman" now, although that opens up an entirely different subject all-together. You get the point. I'm enthusiastic in my efforts to stimulate the county's lackluster economy through buying gas locally (forget that it's $0.30 higher than anywhere nearby.) If there is a BBQ dinner fundraiser within 10 miles of my house, you can bet I'm probably there (I've even provided the entertainment once or twice - anyone remember my two-year-old version of "Victory in Jesus"?) And I'm quite proud to say that (until I moved to Louisville) my version of a traffic jam involved multiple instances of getting stuck behind a convoy of farm machinery on my way to school in the mornings...

Throughout high school it always bothered me to hear someone gripe about how they "couldn't wait to get out of this place," but truthfully, in the three years since graduation, I've probably been "out" as much as or more than anyone. And though I'm thankful for all my travels, opporunities, new friends, etc. and count them all as blessings, I've discovered that after a while of "big city living," I manage to forget how much I love being "country as corn." (Thanks to my good buddy, Quint, for that phrase.) Alas, recent events did much for revitalizing the "bumpkin" in me, and likewise taught me yet another important lesson on life.

Since I'm such a lover of quotes, let me begin by sharing a few of my favorites from my latest adventure. No matter if you don't know the stories behind them... invent your own. It's more fun that way.

1.) "Dude held it for like an hour."

2.) "How did I wind up on only FIVE inches of MY sleeping bag?"

3.) "You okay?" "No" "Wanna do it again?" "Yeah!"

4.) "Where the heck is that? And why aren't you here!"

And my personal, all-time, chart-topping FAVORITE...

5.) "So... do you like pickled eggs?"

Are you smiling? Cause I'm smiling. :-) The human mind never ceases to amaze me. The things we remember, meaningless to most - as those quotes probably are to you - trigger a wealth of emotion. See, THOSE quotes bring with them the shock of COLD creek water swelling against my legs, the whoops and laughs and looks of fright accompainied by a few daring four-wheeler rides, the reassurance of being surrounded -picked on, laughed with, punched and hugged- by good friends and the serenity of retiring the day on a blanket under a star-filled sky.

But my delve back into Smalltown, USA did more than re-kindle the flame for home that I sometimes ignore. A few days of limited cell service, incredible sleep deprivation and a whopping amount of time outdoors reaffirmed a fact I'm still learning to accept: Given the chance, people will surprise you! The person you thought you could never like, is actually really nice. The guy you'd summed up as "blue collar," has a brilliant head on his shoulders. People you might have considered lowly or desolate, are always the first to lend a hand. The toughest man you've ever met still won't get his boots wet in a creek. And the friend you knew to be absolute "High Society," is about as 'cuntry' as they come.

Life = Perceptions. Is he or she good enough? Do they wear the right clothes, eat the coolest food, listen to the best music, drive the attention-grabbing car? WHO CARES? Why aren't we concerned with, "Do they make a difference?"; "Are they doing something worthwhile with their life?"; "Can I help them, not to change their look or style or values, but to simply be a better them?"

My Smalltown, USA soapbox is a cousin to my stance on Perceptions of American Agriculture. More of late, publics are subjected to efforts to ruin the image of American farmers, to downplay their importance to the world's livelihood and to eventually wipeout the hard-work, disciplined, family core values that us Smalltown Advocates hold dear. I'm proud to say that the KSF YAP Adult Project has developed an awesome way to get Young Adults involved in the fight against these injustices. The Discovery Farm Video Contest (click on this blog title for more info) allows YOU to tell YOUr story about Kentucky Animal Agriculture. From "Sheering Sheep" to "Milking Cows" to "Economics of a Livestock Project," educating our national public about the safe practices, necessity and committment involved in KY Ag is literally the first step to generating a positive global PERCEPTION.

You've been given the chance. Now surprise me.

And could someone pass the pickled eggs?