This year I will miss the New Mexico State Fair for the first time in about 18 years. I'm not happy about it, but between wedding stuff and job stuff there was just no way to make it work. But this got me to thinking.....that fair prepared me for all of the things going on in my life now.
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Dream big.
The first time I showed at the State Fair, I came home with no sale slot and a 9th place ribbon. I remember telling my dad that one day I wanted to raise a lamb that would win his class at the State Fair. It was a lofty goal--even owning a lamb that would win his class was probably a stretch at that point in time--but it was something I knew I wanted to do. And so we worked. Me. My family. My ag teacher. Friends who helped us. We all worked harder and longer to improve. I ended my State Fair career with several of those blue ribbons, a shiny belt buckle, and my very last State Fair landed me a winner with that lamb we raised ourselves.
State Fair taught me to dream big and go after what I want. This skill has come in handy many times over the past 18 years.....it got me into law school, landed me a job at a Top 25 firm in San Francisco, got me this job at Texas A&M, and most recently gave me the courage to ask to be able to keep doing this job while living in the Panhandle. It was a crazy request.....but it got approved and I'll be moving just before the wedding. State Fair did that.
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Find people who you can trust.
I didn't meet Teacher Friend at State Fair. We met at our local county fair and then went to school together. But our friendship--which has now lasted about 21 years--was solidified in the dorms at the State Fair. Every year, without fail, she would hightail it to the dorms the second her feet hit the fair grounds and claim us bunks in the best location---back corner, away from the doors, away from the showers. I never once had to worry about where my bed would be located, because Teacher Friend was on it.
When people told me I needed to find someone that I could trust to handle details on the wedding day so that I wouldn't have to, there was zero question in my mind who to ask. I know Teacher Friend will be all over it and make sure I don't have to worry about anything. State Fair did that.
And know who you can't.
Conversely, I learned quickly, particularly after being successful in the show ring, that there are people you can't trust. People who will say one thing to your face and another behind your back.
And if you ask me, life's too short for dealing with those kind of folks. I refuse to do so now. State Fair did that.
It's important to talk to people about what we do.
I'm the first to admit that the "city folks" walking through the show barns asking questions can get annoying. "Do they bite?" "Will he kick me?" "What is that thing on his mouth?" "He's a boy because he has horns, right?" "Can I have some of this hair you just cut off of him?" Aye yai yai. And normally this goes down right in the middle of the most stressful day of the year....show day. But dealing with this for over a decade taught me how to talk to people about showing and sheep and agriculture.
Turns out.....talking to people about agriculture is what I do for a living. That's what I'll be doing on Monday that prevents me from going to the fair this year. I get paid to educate folks--albeit usually not city folks--about agricultural law. It's the dream job and I really do feel like I've got a great background to do it well. State Fair did that.
Make friends and keep them.
The best part of State Fair was seeing my friends from all over the state for a week every year. It was sort of like a week-long slumber party with your friends. (I mean, you slept in a cold, nasty dorm and hung out in a dusty barn all week, but it was great!) Some of my best friendships were forged at that fair.
Over the years, I've been reminded of this over and over. When I've needed rescuing after a near-death experience, I called a State Fair friend. When I've needed help trying to prep materials for my ag law class, I called a State Fair friend. I've been in their weddings, mourned with them and for them at funerals, and know the value of friendships that started when we weren't even old enough to drive. State Fair did that.
Know what love looks like (and doesn't).
Ah, State Fair romances. Many a broken heart started right there in the courtyard of the ol' dorms. The truth is, we probably learned more about what love wasn't at the State Fair, but we learned a lot about what it was too.
It was watching parents holding hands on the way back to sleep in two different dorms. My dad taking me to the mall after I won Champion Cross to buy a new shirt for the dance. Mr. Franklin waking up with me at 3 am to drench lambs the morning before the show. Eric clipping legs on finewool lambs for umpteen years. My mom with her video camera in the stands. My brother coaching me from outside the ring. Taking the Little Blond Haired Kid for ice cream before the sale. High fives from Wade after things went well, and pep talks after they didn't. There really was a lot of love in that big barn.
(I'm not blind...there were a lot of major family disputes in that barn too....I remember and was involved in one or two of those babies).
As I look forward to marrying The Boy from Texas in 45 days (who's counting?), I'm glad to have seen examples of fair family relationships and hope that we can raise our kids in the same environment. State Fair did that.
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