09/15/06 Lesson learned

Lesson Learned It's always nice when a difficult situation turns out to be a decent situation. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back to explain right after this. Recently, at our county fair I helped weigh the steer projects the 4-H and FFA participants had been feeding for this show. One of the younger 4-H boys brought in a steer that was his back-up animal. His first choice steer had died shortly before the fair so the second steer came to the show. In the market class this young man's steer received a red ribbon and not the blue ribbon he had hoped for. Well, that was quite a let down especially since he had placed very high with his steer last year. Now comes the lesson part  his parents told him there was no reason to be disappointed since he knew the steer was not as good as the one that had died, but this steer was what he had to work with and that's the way life is sometimes. You know, the next day he took his steer into the show ring quietly won his class in the fitting and showing competition and left with the first-place rosette ribbon. Now there is a lesson opportunity and a lesson learned. Sometimes it doesn't always turn out that way. Later, I congratulated him for continuing to work hard when things hadn't gone the way he thought they should have earlier. I'll tell you the smile on his face made me remember why so many people volunteer to help put on a county fair. It's sure worth the time and effort. I'm Jeff Keane.