A Calling to Agvocate

6,000,000,000+ people in the world = 6,000,000,000+ reasons for living.

Callings come in every variety. It seems that some people are born knowing that they'll be an Olympic athlete. Others figure out that science miraculously makes sense to them and one day decide to search for a major medical cure. And still, once in a while, someone just hands an unsuspecting stranger a guitar and from the first melodic strum, they're hooked.

I am currently hanging out with ~100 people who via whatever path have accepted the calling to advocate for American Agriculture through use of Social Media. (Check out http://agchat.org/) Some are dedicated Twitter-fanatics who essentially express every thought and feeling in 140 characters or less. Others manage multiple Facebook pages, allowing a multitude equivalent to a fair-sized country access to valuable and much-needed insights regarding true, fair and safe practices of the Agricultural Industry. Still, more creatively invite dedicated readers (and more importantly, an uninformed public) into their everyday lives as they blog about the ins, outs, ups, downs and cartwheels of life for the "farmers and ranchers" the entire world loves, and the "farming and ranching" the entire world challenges.

Barely 24 hours into this venture, and one thing is vividly clear - I'm out of my league. I've "Facebooked" avidly for a long, long time. I enjoy the occasional "Tweet". There are even the rare, but colorful blog posts about whatever random bit of life I choose to exploit. But I wholeheartedly and admittedly fail in comparison to these dedicated individuals who spend constant and consistent time explaining, enhancing and encouraging those who spend their lives feeding, clothing and energizing the world.

At 22, a recent college graduate and even more-recent "out-on-my-own" transplant, I'm probably supposed to have figured out my "calling" by now. Somedays, I'm certain I have. And yet, a friend and I recently determined that we are ultimately called to live in the moment, to rise to the occasion of each day and be who and what we are when we need to be them. Life changes; we adapt, and so, I believe, do our callings.

Today, and for a time, it is my calling to best serve those who tend the land, care for the creatures and provide for the multitudes. I am proud to have a non-traditional Ag background, yet a very traditional love for those within the industry that is truly the backbone of our existence. My belief that "agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life" (see - The FFA Creed) developed because someone took time to explain, enhance and encourage the need for agriculture in my life. Because of this, I know that I have a calling to Agvocate.

I'm A Big Kid.... Now?

Perhaps my 11th Commandment is, "When life is too crazy for comfort, fore go blogging," as clearly for the past seven months, I've followed this mantra without relent. Quick recap of life since the Kentucky State Fair = logged ootles of hours in MSU's Pullen Farm Greenhouse, stayed up all night with Bellview Baptist Youth Group, swam in the sea of Blue Jackets in Indy, survived a ridiculously cold and adventurous November four wheeler ride, jettsetted north for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, rocked out at the Judd's Christmas Concert, got stranded in Atlanta's freak ICE STORM!, line danced at The Wildhorse... That's a close enough summation. Alas, I'm back, with a vengeance! With less than two months to go as an Undergrad, exactly two months until I'm a bridesmaid for one of my best friends (with repeat of the same later in the year - similar concept, different bride) and barely two and a half months until I become a Yankee transplant, ideals of adulthood are fast approaching. Ready or not, here it comes! Find a job, buy a car, own a home, pay ALL my own bills, cook ALL my own meals... Peace. Of. Cake. Granted, this said as I laze at the college casa between classes, watching ESPN (GO KENTUCKY!) with the guys, debating on what to microwave next... Jests aside, with emphatic fervor I'm beyond excited about any and all that my life holds in store. I hear so many of my friends and classmates express anxiety over the "toils" of life to come, and I'll admit that with some of the leaps and bounds I take toward independence, there is a small voice inside me that sometimes wants to cry, "Mom!", but overall, I can't wait to "do it myself." A wise friend once helped me realize that while high school was a blast and college has been fun, God wouldn't have allowed us these incredibly long lifespans if the best years were meant to come in the first quarter. With that mindset, I've seen every year truly surpass the one before it, and if 2010 was any indication, the next 3/4 of 2011 is going to be my favorite adventure yet!