Cyndi's Two Cents

Change in perspective

Commentary.

I have been remiss in submitting a column in recent weeks and months.  There is so much anger, frustration, and divisiveness unlike anything I’ve witnessed in my 58 years on this planet that every time I put pen to paper, I had found myself experiencing such overwhelming sadness that I chose not to write.  Writing has always been cathartic for me, but as 2020 continued to bring so much negativity, I felt lost.  From conversations I have had, and comments read on social media, I know I am not the only one.

A couple of things happened recently that have helped me put so much of what is happening in our country today into perspective.  First, I saw and hugged my parents and my siblings.  Something I had not done for many months. It was healing for my soul.

Secondly, the fair board in the county where we live decided that cancelling the longest-running fair west of the Mississippi River was not an option. I spent 2 days enjoying cattle shows and the company of people that are like a second family to me. The following week, a less commercialized version of the Missouri State Fair was held.  Junior livestock shows and 4-H exhibits were held but no concerts or carnival. It was splendid.

When the reaction to COVID-19 closed local businesses and we were asked to self-isolate, it was not really that different for me, at least at first. I often work from my home office and continued to do so a couple of times a week.  Work on the farm did not change that much either, although our revenue stream suffered. The cattle market tanked. The restaurants to whom we sell meat, eggs and produce were closed and then had limited seating. The farmers market where we sell goods every Saturday postponed opening for 2 months, but fortunately our customers either came to us or we delivered to them.

As the director for Brownfield Ag News, I would normally be traveling to ag meetings, fields days, and visiting farmers and agribusinesses across the country.  My last work trip out of state was the week of March 9^th.  It has been a very busy few months and as I was driving home from Indianapolis the morning of March 12 I was looking forward to a couple of weeks at home or in the office before hitting the road again.  A couple of weeks has turned into 5 months and there is currently no end in sight.

So much of our success in dealing with the current “environment” goes back to our perspective and how we deal with it. I am reading a collection of stories and letters from survivors of World War II and their families.  If the men and women who laid down their very lives so that we could enjoy the freedom we have today were here now, what would they have to say about us? Would they be disappointed in the overall lack of dignity, patriotism, and morality?  Perhaps.  However, it was selfless acts of service by so many in that great generation that gives us the freedom of choice regarding our own dignity, patriotism, and morality.