5/31/2024
Perhaps the thing that Junior reminds me most significantly about myself is of being chosen…
We’ve added another little guy to the fold. He’s cute, noisy, and is a lot of work. But so far, he is worth it.
Though Junior and I don’t look alike (no matter what you may hear to the contrary), it’s pretty uncanny how much I see myself in this little guy.
For starters, we both like to be in control. We like to be free… to be able to choose where we go, when we eat and drink, and what we eat and drink. We don’t much trust the system and like to go our own way.
We also both like to wander. Perhaps it’s something like ADD, but getting from one place to another is always round about. There are just too many interesting things or thoughts that need to be investigated.
Another thought strikes me… Junior and I both need and want the care, companionship, and attention of others. Though we both do pretty good at being alone, we can both get lonely. We just enjoy having others around. And without some leading and guiding, we’ll both get ourselves into serious trouble quick. We aren’t sufficient in ourselves.
Dependence is a key characteristic of each of us. There is this idea that we can be autonomous and in control of our own path. That all we need to be happy, productive, and good can be found deep down within ourselves. Maybe it’s hidden deep down or clouded over by distractions or the opinions of others, but that if we can get quiet enough, or in-tune enough with our core selves, we possess all we need in order to flourish. That’s a pretty common idea in our world full of opportunity, but it isn’t true. Of course, we each possess a bunch of agency. But that agency doesn’t come from within, and it didn’t come from nowhere either.
But perhaps the thing that Junior reminds me most significantly about myself is of being chosen…
We chose Junior for a very specific reason. Yes, he is a cute little fellow, but that isn’t what made him the right fit for us. While we want to win, Junior doesn’t have what it takes to be chosen to win in the show barn. Oh, he’s a good lamb, but was passed over by the ones who really want to win. When we decided that it would be a great idea for Rece to jump into showing livestock through our local 4H club, we needed a solid lamb that we could get through the process with for the first time. Junior is the perfect lamb for that!
