About fifteen years ago I strongly pursued something out of character for me--a position that I did not want solely because it paid a lot of money.
A lot of money.
It paid so much money that I would be able to build a beautiful barn big enough to showcase the three or four horses that I intended to have. It would have a wide center hall lined with beautiful stables.The horses would simply be for me to ride on the occasional weekend and the barn would sit on the hill where the settler's home now sits.
It would be beautiful and would be fitting for the successful, and highly respected person that I would be from having such a position. I was recruited for the position. I was in line to accept the offer that would be coming soon.
I do not know what happened. I was not offered the job. I was shocked,disappointed, and a bit confused.
That is how close I came to having a totally meaningless existence. That is how close I came to being a total failure as a human being.
That is how close I came to not dodging the bullet.
Had I been offered that position I would have taken it, built a beautiful barn and had a wretched existence.
It was a wrong turn nearly taken.
Read some comment somewhere the other day to the effect of "If the fences don't look good, then the farm must not be worth much." Heavily paraphrased that, but it was the sentiment.
ReplyDeleteYou can't fix that with a single dose of anything that is not immediately fatal..
Years and years ago, Daddy had an opportunity to take a job training race horses in Roswell NM (Mama shut that down..probably with great wisdom and foresight) it was implied that I would follow along, ohhh boy, did I want daddy to take the job...He didn't.
I wonder where I would be if he had? Ruidoso Downs? Last thing I did thre was to win 84 bucks or so on Eastex in the 1984 All american Futurity.. Los Alamitos? Maybe..
I likely would not know any better.
Pretty fences don't make a good farm...good people do. The source of happiness in a good farm likely begins in the kitchen...The source of satisfaction in a good farm happens in the barnyard. Barns are for keeping hay dry.
If manicured pasture, and pretty white fences are the source of your percieved agricultural satisfaction, then I most respectfully suggest that you re-examine your priorities, or take up golf...no golf course ever grew a good tomato...Amos' pen sure does. -Lloyd
Actually it sounds like the bullet dodged, or was guided around, you.
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