by Caleb Jones | cjones@amec.coop
There’s nothing better than a good county fair. Corn dogs, funnel cakes, the 4-H cake decorating contest, every kind of critter you can imagine – and usually a pretty good tractor pull to top it off.
Up until last week, my favorite county fair memory was watching my brother, Clayton, show his first steer. It looked like a mix between a football game, a rodeo and a greased-pig contest. Like any good county fair experience, it came with plenty of lessons. The biggest one? Anything worth doing requires time and hard work. In hindsight, my brother and I probably should’ve spent a little less time fishing and a little more time getting that steer used to a halter.
When my son, Max, told me he wanted to show a heifer at the fair this year, I knew I had my work cut out for me offering any help. It had been decades since I stepped into a show arena, so I called in the experts – Mazie and Emmie Patek from Manitou Spring Ranch in High Point. I’m pretty sure those girls took their first steps right beside a show cow.
Come fair time, we got our heifer into the stall, and that’s when the real work began. I’m certain we spent more time helping Max comb that heifer’s hair than I’ve ever spent on mine in my entire life – and we used way more hairspray.
It was an amazing experience for Max. He didn’t bring home the grand champion ribbon, but I was proud of him for trying something new. He stepped into an unfamiliar world and didn’t do it alone. Max and I would’ve been lost without our friends helping us prep for the show.
That’s the beauty of rural communities – someone’s always there to help. The success of rural America is built on moments like this. Neighbors help neighbors get square bales in before a rainstorm. Rows of combines show up for a farmer facing health challenges. Friends lend a hand, not for recognition, but because it’s the right thing to do.
It’s the same reason your local electric cooperative works. It’s there to help you succeed, not to make a profit for some far-away investor.
Like it or not, rural America is going to face challenges – some we’ve never seen before. But fortunately, we’ll face them together. And if you ask me, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Caleb Jones is the executive vice president and CEO of Missouri Electric Cooperatives. He is a member of Boone Electric Cooperative