When I was in high school, I helped my parents feed their cattle on the weekends.
From time to time, I would have this same really negative thought as we fed the cows.
“All I’ve ever done my whole life is take net wrap off hay bales.”
There is a really mundane quality to feeding cows.
You get a bale of hay, you take off the net wrap, you put the hay into the feeder.
A couple days later, you repeat the process.
When I went home to visit during college, the thought still haunted me.
I knew I wanted to have cows when I “grew up” but it bothered me that I felt resentful toward the work at times.
In another frame of mind, feeding hay can be a rewarding task. It’s fun to see the cows and calves rush up to the new bale and chomp down on their lunch.
Yet, there was a part of me that wasn’t completely satisfied.
Earlier this week, I went to feed a bale of hay to the cows at the Four Sisters Farm where John’s mom lives. As I walked around the bale several times taking the net wrap off, I thought about the old, familiar task – feeding hay.
Only this time, I didn’t have that negative thought from back in high school and college.
A new thought occurred to me: I’ve done something in my life besides feed hay!
I’ve almost written, designed, printed and published a book!
Wild Man: A Mostly True Memoir of a Missouri Cattleman
We’ve sold 39 pre-order copies so far and that negative thought is finally gone.
I hope I can keep feeding cows and writing books for the rest of my life.
:). We all need a task like feeding the hay to help achieve our dreams! Way to go girl!
There is a big difference now….you are doing this for your OWN cows! Even mundane chores take on a new light as you build your future for your own family! Smile on!