Be Committed

There’s nothing quite like lambing season. For those of us who have had to anxiously await the arrival of newborn livestock, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t had that chance yet, just think of waiting for your birthday when you were in elementary school. You know that the day is coming and you can’t wait to watch that cute little lamb run and jump through the barn.

However, in order to get there, you have to be able to put the work in ahead of time. Even though I can’t get back home as often as I’d like, I still have to be sure that I am ready to bundle up and face the elements to take care of whatever needs to be done when I am there. The ewes are limping and  need a good hoof-trimming? The water is frozen? The bedding is dirty? We need to move the ewes that are close to lambing to the lambing barn? Well considering the sheep probably can’t do it themselves, someone has to. I’ve had to trim a few hooves, get out the new heated bucket and continually break off the ice, bring down bales of straw and clean up the pen, and gotten run over plenty of times while trying to move the sheep. However, I understand that this is something I need to do to see those cute lambs running around. This is an example of being committed.

Commitment is a word that is a little difficult for people our age. If we don’t like the show we’re watching, so what? There’s about a million different options on Netflix. If we get into an awkward situation, we instantly take out our phone to distract us. If we don’t like something, we normally just don’t do it. No don’t get me wrong, this can be a good thing at times. For example, it’s easier for us to recognize when something isn’t the best for us and are able to swiftly improve the situation (for example; you can change you major/career plans pretty quickly if you decide it isn’t for you.) However, that’s not to say that we can’t be committed.

Do a quick Google search and you’ll find that committed is an adjective that means “feeling dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job; wholeheartedly dedicated.”

Think about something you are wholeheartedly dedicated to. For some of us, this is our FFA chapter, our sport, band, choir, our job, our livestock, and the list goes on. We show up anytime no matter what to get the job done. We show up because we care. We show up because we are committed. Someone once told me “You can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to show up.”

When I was in high school I was as involved as I possibly could be, as many of us are. Cross Country, the musical, marching band, choir, speech, FFA, FBLA, 4H, working at Fareway, taking care of the sheep, keeping up with grades, you name it I did it. It got to a point where I would show up to a practice and have absolutely no idea what I was doing. I remember one day I had gone to a speech practice, went through about an hour of practice with my radio broadcasting, and left not remembering anything that my coach had taught me that day. When I got to the conference competition, I followed through with all of the parts that I could remember. As I was signing off, I noticed the timer clenching her teeth. I had no idea why they were even timing the event, so I continued on.

“Thank you for listening, and have a great day!”

The timer stopped her watch, looked at me nervously and told me I could head out. I glanced at the time and saw it was 1:59. What was the big deal? As I began speaking to the judge, I soon realized what I had forgotten.

“Your broadcast was actually very good. Had you followed the rules correctly, I would have given you a high rating and you may have won the contest,” he said.

“Wait, what rule did I break? I just remember that I have to do a commercial and read the urgent news. I thought I did that?”

“Didn’t you know that you have to at least make it to two minutes? You were under by once second so I am forced to disqualify you.”

I had missed the mark by one measly second. It soon struck me that I hadn’t been completely present when my coach had shared with me the few rules. If I couldn’t even remember the rules to a competition, what else have I been missing out on? I soon found that while I cared about all the things I was involved in I wasn’t as committed as I should be to do my best. From there, I re-evaluated what I truly valued and stuck to those things I was wholeheartedly dedicated to. The next time I performed for speech I was lucky enough to make it to All-State and have an amazing learning experience to get there.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we shouldn’t get involved. We just need to be committed to what we do. Even in the craziest blizzard, I will still get as bundled up as possible and make sure my sheep have enough water and are properly taken care of. Think about the things you are committed to and show up for those things, both physically and mentally. That commitment is what sets us apart and helps us to achieve any goal we have set for ourselves.

Zach Hamilton

State President