There has been a photo floating around Facebook lately and I just love it. It says the following:
Just a Cow
From time to time, people tell me, "Lighten up, it's just a cow." Or, "That's a lot of money for just a cow." They don't know the distance travelled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a cow." Some of my proudest moments have come with "just a cow."
Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a cow," but I did not once feel slighted. Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a cow" and, in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a cow" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.
If you, too, think it's "just a cow" then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise." "Just a cow" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure, unbridled joy. "Just a cow" brings out the compassion and patience that makes me a better person. Because of "just a cow," I will rise early, stay in the barn for hours and look longingly into the future. So for me, and folks like me, it's not "just a cow" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past and the pure enjoyment of the moment. "Just a cow" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a cow," but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a human."
So the next time that you hear the phrase, "just a cow," just smile...because they clearly just don't understand.
Man.....that hits pretty darn close to home. I've got lots of "city friends" who completely do not understand our way of life. They think it's crazy we get up early to do chores, or that every vacation we took for about 20 years involved a trailer and a stock show. They don't understand the bull semen catalogs I have laying around my house and think it's nuts that I go home on weekends to sort through lambs that other people will show.
But for those of us who do understand, the "just a cow" quote above makes perfect sense. Be it the first cow I bought from our neighbor when I was 8 years old, or the horse that my dad bought me before I could walk, or the show lamb that we spent more time (and maybe money!) with than most people spend on a child....I promise you that they are more than "just a cow." As I explained recently, those animals helped to raise me and that is something that until you have experienced it, you probably won't ever understand. I couldn't be more thankful for all of the "just a cows" in my life. I thought I'd share pictures of a few of them.
.jpg) |
| Brent - First State Fair class winner we raised |
 |
| Baldy - Horse my dad got me when I was 6 months old |
 |
| Brosic - First Grand Champion |
 |
| Hoss - Graduation present from Wade |
 |
| Princess - First County Fair Grand Champion we raised |
 |
| Lily - My favorite flop eared pig. |
 |
| Walter - First sale slot and blue ribbon at Roswell |
 |
| Jake - grouchy guard dog |
 |
| Lester - Drank prune juice from the can |
 |
| Harley - Very first banner |
2 comments:
I love the part about how understanding that it's not "just a cow" grants humanity and that I'm not "just a human". So true!
I remember a little boy at the Denver swine show, holding on to the little stub tail of his pig, trying to prevent him from going through the little door to the truck as they exited the show ring without a ribbon. That wasn't "just a pig" to that little boy. And he's better for it. We all are.
-College Roomie
Its funny how your blogs always seem to be spot on and reading my mind. Just the other day I got into a discussion about raising and showing animals with one of my city friends. Despite my multiple approaches to explain to him everything that goes into raising an animal and the education you get in return, his repsonse was "I just don't understand why you teach your animals these tricks (meaning showing them) if you are just going to eat them. It seems like punishment to me." (Insert a deep breath here.) It took everything I had not to make the driver stop so we could pull over to the side of the road and everybody in the car get a farm raised education from me. You know the ones that our Ag teachers are famous for after some 7th grader makes some smarty pants comment? Well I kept my cool and simply responded, "You are from the city. You will never know or understand why we spend countless hours out in the barn working with our animals, numerous trips across the country to find that perfect set of sheep, early mornings cleaning out pig pens, or late nights getting packing up the trailer so we can drive all night to the fair. Quite frankly you have no idea on what you are truly missing out on. Most of the best memories of my life happened in the show barn and I actually feel sorry for you that you will never have the chance to experience that. You said you used to hate having to go outside to pull weeds as one of your chores, but I loved going out to the barn to shovel manure out of the pen (maybe an exaggeration, but I was making a point) and make sure each one of my animals was fed and taken care of each morning and night before I was. I may be living in the city now, but as soon as my turn comes and I am raising a family you can guarantee that there is no way I will be doing it anywhere other than out in the country."
Well that was quite the little rant there, but hey I know you understand where I am coming from.
Happy Thursday!
-Pharmer Girl
Post a Comment