Family Farm Friday # 23: The Chore that Got Me Into Law School

"Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be." ~Grandma Moses

Hopefully the title of this blog intrigued you.....here's the deal. When you are applying to law school, you have to write what's called a personal statement. It's just an essay about yourself....they give you no more direction than that. It can be about anything you want. So, when I sat down to write mine, I tried to think of what I could write about that would best describe me, my goals, my roots, my passions.....naturally, it had an ag-related theme to it.

I came up with a personal statement that focused on one particular farm chore....irrigating. Apparently this chore was pretty important in my family, because it was also the topic of a winning speech at the District 4-H Contest when I was 9 years old! Hey, when you find a good topic, you stick with it, right?

So anyway, below you can read a portion of my personal statement about irrigating that got me into law school.

I can still recall pulling on my rubber irrigation boots (which were about five sizes too big) and slowly climbing over the barbed wire fence into the field. My little legs did not come close to jumping the ditch, so my dad lifted me over, and the work began. I could not have been more than three years old following my dad across the rows of alfalfa. My boots squished through the mud as I dragged a seemingly huge load of irrigation tubes, that, in reality, consisted of about four of the two-inch diameter pipe tubes. Setting the water was hard work and not very much fun, but my whole family worked together to get the job done. My mom and I set the tubes, and my little brother played in the mud and pulled the shovel along behind him. I never questioned having to help set the water. I understood this was a job that had to be done, and everyone worked together until it was finished.

Teaching this work ethic was very important to my parents. I believe this greatly impacted the person I have become. Throughout my life, I have learned to work hard and to do my best. When I was in junior high school, my dad gave me the best advice I have ever received. We were at the barn one night taking care of our show animals. He told me, “Tiffany, we may get beat, but we will never get out worked.” This statement has stuck with me, and I work hard to live my life true to these words. My parents would not accept a mediocre effort; it was always understood that I was to give one hundred percent to everything I did.

......

I feel fortunate to have grown up in a rural community. Although my parents were always a driving force in my life, I am also a true example of the statement, “It takes a village to raise a child.” My many neighbors acted as additional sources of wisdom throughout my life. Coming from such a close-knit community has shaped the person who I have become and inspired me to represent those with similar backgrounds and experiences.

Much has changed since those sweltering summer days of years past. My feet have grown into the irrigation boots, I can jump the ditch by myself now, and, most of the time, my brother has outgrown his desire to play in the mud. However, as I look back, I realize there are certain things that have remained constant in my life. The closeness of my family, my competitive nature, my strong work ethic, and love for the agriculturural community are still as prevalent today as they ever were.