Good Morning My Friends,
I wanted to share one of my favorite stories that I would always ask my late Grandmother Jackson to share with me and the lesson I'm always reminded of when I think about it.
As a few of you know, my mother's family owns and operates a dairy farm and I was fortunate enough to learn a ton from spending the summers of the 90's on that farm.
As the sun began to set on the Jackson Dairy farm, Walt parked his crimson-red four-wheeler in the small, two-stall detached garage. Having just finished the nightly pasture check, he sat down to decompress from another long day on the farm. As he was about to move, the silence was shattered by heavy breathing and snorting from around the corner. There was no doubt in Walt's mind about the source of the noise. He knew he had to freeze and remain motionless, as he was now in a tense standoff with a nearly 2,000-pound Guernsey bull.
Cows escaping were a rare occurrence on the Jackson farm, but it happened occasionally, usually when someone left a gate open. However, a loose farm bull was the worst animal to have on the run.
Walt sat as still as a statue, fully aware of the danger. Using his peripheral vision, he searched for an emergency stick or shovel. He knew his only hope was for the bull to wander away or for his wife, Meta, to spot the confrontation from the kitchen window. Luckily, she did. Recognizing the problem, Meta quickly called one of her sons for help.
Moments later, her son arrived quietly, driving into the driveway with a plan. Halter in hand, he found a Guernsey cow in heat. The hope was to entice the newly freed bull to follow the cow. Thankfully, the plan worked!
The Lesson:
This is one of many stories about my late grandfather that remind me of the lesson of staying calm under pressure.
His ability to stay motionless when faced with a dangerous situation demonstrated the importance of maintaining composure in a crisis. Often, quick, rash decisions can exacerbate problems. Taking a moment to assess the situation and plan a response can be crucial.
Admittedly, as a high energy individual this one can be a challenge for me from time to time. But remembering stories like this helps to remind me that I can and should remain calm under pressure.
School is almost in Session
Did you know? Before publishing my memoir, I published two children's books. You can grab them wherever books are sold.
You can also sponsor a classroom with a bulk order from me!
Here are the two links to Amazon to check them out.
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