Telling Your Story
Where is your blue? Blue and Gold that is! Is there a dusty corduroy jacket hanging in the closet somewhere? Packed away in a box perhaps? Or have you protected it from the decay of age by hanging it carefully in a mothball-lined garment bag in the closet?
It is good to relive those FFA memories if you are blessed enough to have any of them tucked away in the mind's caverns. Funny how I can find space for that but not remember why I walked into the kitchen. But it is so much more enjoyable to recall that chatty girl who sat in the row in front of me at state FFA convention one year; yes, the one with whom I corresponded with actual hand-written letters, and were in each other's weddings, than it is to wander to the kitchen for a drink of water between creative bursts.
How fun is it to remember cheering from the banks to watch the canoe relay races during FFA camp? No one stayed dry as teams paddled around the buoy and headed for the winner's trophy on shore. Or how about those late-into-the-night talks with a new or old pal on an FFA trip or the wonder of seeing the university campus for the first time and spending the night as a bonus. It was big stuff for some of us kids.
I am compelled to relieve my conscience of a deep confession from my first state convention trip. We stayed in a dorm lounge, wall-to-wall bunk beds, at least 50 girls and a few chaperones in the room. They said the bathroom was down the hall, couldn't miss it. Right. The only door I found unlocked was the janitor's closet. It seemed barbaric for a university dormitory bathroom, but what did I know? It WAS the '70s after all, and for one fleeting moment, I was concerned that this was my only option for the next three days. Can you imagine brushing my teeth in the mop sink on the floor and if someone stumbled in and saw me in this embarrassing situation?
Well, I did imagine it and more. It took two more trips and a couple more looks in the janitor closet down that long hallway before the hidden, recessed doors of the real bathroom revealed its hiding spot. Whew! Hey, don't laugh. I was only 14. It was a quick lesson in overcome and adapt—in case you must.
Kids who get to wear the Blue and Gold may not know it, but they are the lucky ones. Farm, rural, urban or city, no matter what knowledge and experience they bring to the classroom, they will leave with so much more. Not all members will have a life's work in agriculture, but all will leave with some knowledge of where food comes from and how it gets to the table. In a world where detachment from any knowledge of food production is the norm, some exposure to the world of agriculture is better than none.
Feb. 19-26 marks the 75th anniversary of National FFA Week, and chapters around the nation will be more visible than ever in their schools and communities. The national organization created a week full of topics that members can use to springboard their creativity into bringing attention to the organization and the impact it has had on generations. The week kicks off with SAE Sunday, highlighting hands-on learning required by students. Next is Service and Advocacy Monday and Alumni Tuesday. Wednesday is Thank an Ag Teacher Day. Thursday is Give FFA Day, and the week winds up with Wear Blue Friday. Haul out that FFA swag and wear it with pride!
Whether or not you wore blue corduroy in high school, it is more important than ever to support a generation that will fill the roles left behind by those of us on the back side of careers. Support your local FFA chapter where and how you can and wear your blue and gold with pride!
Bev Berens is a freelance writer and FFA parent from Holland, Mich. She can be contacted at uphillfarm494@yahoo.com.