Sometimes the Grass Really is Greener!!

That picture above is of a handful of our cows (well, technically there are some Cows, a bull, a steer, and a heifer in that picture.. But let's just say, "cows"). They are out on a new little section off our pasture that we are in the process of renovating. This area is a bit shaded, it has some good grasses in there, some less great grasses, some yummy browse and leaves at their height. It's good eating - if you're a cow.

One of our daughters and I fixed up the temporary fencing and got the environment ready for them. The cows who were there last year knew what we were up to. They sat at the fence gate mooing away at us. They paraded all along the electric fence line mooing at us, looking for a hole, pleading with us, "LET US IN!!". The cows who didn't have the chance to be there last year, either because they were born over winter, or new additions mostly figured it out also. The herd wanted to go there, they were on the well eaten section of pasture that is desperate for rain. Sort of looks like a putting green, well, with hoof prints and big splats of cow 'patties' and they understood while their wiser friends were trying to bargain with us. So they joined in.

We rushed to get the area ready (we like our neighbors, and want that to be reciprocated!!) and had the grand reveal. I opened the electric fence bungee gate (and got out of the way!!) and our small herd marched forth, really more of a moderate paced stampede. Walk. Eat. Walk. Eat. Gallup. Eat. A few frolicking leaps and bounds from the younger of the bovines. They have been back into the round bales as the pasture was pretty much down to stubble, they like the hay, but they love the variety in a pasture, and the shade in that wooded pasture is a nice treat for an upcoming heat wave.

Smiling, I started to leave the field. And I saw this guy. A bull calf, about 3 months old. His mom was in there enjoying her green buffet. His father was. His friends were. His messed up family was all in there enjoying themselves. He sat there. On the pasture turned to putting green, looking inside. Mooing for his mom. Mooing for someone from the herd to join him. They all ran away chasing after the new grass. He sat there pining for them to hang out on the dry flatland.

There he is, Leonard the red American Aberdeen bull calf. Looking towards his friends. Mooing at them, "Please! Come back!!" We tried gently herding him into that lush grassland. No dice, he found a hole and ran away each time. In fact, the more we tried the more he found a hole and darted. Even a few hours later he was still there, asking for the other cows to join him.

This was a couple days ago. Today? He was out there. And he was loving it. I didn't catch him doing it, but with his age and energy level, I guarantee you he had a few of those really cute jump up and curl in at his body leaps while jumping from food source to food source.

You know what though? If he went in there two days ago? It would have been even better. It's probably only 3/4 of an acre in there. It will be used up in a week. The cows, when allowed to mob graze like that, tend to eat in order of tastiness. They eat the top shelf grasses and weeds first, then their next favorite, and so it goes. Young Mr. Leonard here missed the top choice. While trying to convince his buds to come back to where it was "safe" and "known".

The Moral

Why would I talk about my farm animals if I didn't have some sort of a moral? It's actually pretty simple. It's really probably summed up in a rhetorical question - how often do you do that? How are you sitting there where it is "safe" and "known" letting opportunity pass by?

Please don't get me wrong. I'm a bit of a slow mover. I'm not saying "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!!!" But I am saying "A ship in a harbor is safe, but that's not where ships were meant to be" (John A. Shedd first said that, according to many sources). See the difference? Prudence is good. And right. Paralysis is neither good nor right.

What is your dream? Thinking about starting a business? What about a whole career change? What about a great service opportunity? Don't let the fears stop you. Let them hone your plans, but then take a step. Move through that gate. And taste.

Maybe your fears were right. That's okay. You'll know that for sure once you walk through and see what there is to see. Don't you want to at least know you are right? Instead of worry about the what-ifs? We have careers that are somewhere between 30-40 years. That's not a long time. We are in each phase of life for only 20. That's not long. Stop trying to get to the end with 3/4 of the gas tank still full. Live your life. Explore your dreams.

Don't just sit there in safety throwing stones at those dreams! That's just bull-headed.