Money, Money, Money! Money!

      One of the biggest thing that a chapter faces is the lack of funds. Although money isn't the ultimate factor, its presence and absence can make events and trips possible and can cause chapters to have to deny their members experiences. Funding is one thing that is way more important to the infrastructure than members realize. Why else would there be a whole Officer position dedicated to it?
     Despite donations and auctions, fundraising can be one thing that can not only help out the members but help the chapter. Travelling through the state, I have seen many different forms, all of which have been quite successful for the chapters who participate.
     Lets discuss a few shall we?
      1. Fruit Sales. I know that everyone and their dog have started to do fruit sales, but when I was in FFA, our chapter was one of the only ones who did sell. It was a hit, and still is. Although it is a huge headache for the advisors, it really does help students learn how to make personal contact and sales and be accountable for collecting money. Note for the ag teachers: make it a competition. If you tell that the top 3 students will get a certain percentage of the chapters total sales, more for the first place, a smaller amount for the second place, and a little smaller amount for the third. If it is a good sale year, open up it up to the top 5 sellers. Keep the top dollar amount posted on a whiteboard and see the sales climb. The first year that my chapter made it into a competition, I was absolutely set on being the number one seller. I was on the phone every empty minute trying to make sales. Although the second place winner was my best friend, it wasn't her that I was worried about beating and she wasn't worried about me. It was the fact that the third person was a first year member who was taking "clients" who had previously bought from Sammy or myself in the previous years. Now we couldn't have that. For every sale she made, Sammy and I made two. We watched the board all day long watching the tally points, and by the end of the day, we all had exhausted every last client we could possibly get. Fruit sales continues to be a huge competition in my home chapter and provides people in the community with some pretty dang good agricultural products. 

     2. Pointsettias. I hadn't heard of these being sold until I was in college and the Malad chapter started selling them. If you didn't know, during my State Officer year, Malad pretty much adopted me. At one point in time they fought over me with my home chapter. So when I saw a Facebook post from several members, I decided to support and buy some for my mom and grandmas. Those were the best things I could have bought them. And believe it out now, my one grandma still has hers! I was able to purchase different colors and each person had their own special plant from me. And you better believe that I bought more and will be giving them again this year. 

     3. Most times it is believed that when fundraising you have to come up with an idea that is complex. So not true people. Shirts, sweatshirts, and even monogrammed jackets are a simple and relatively cheap way to not only show chapter "spirit" but can actually bring some good revenue for the chapter. The key is to have a competition for t-shirt designs and have the students vote on them and to shop around for print shops. Local places are good, especially if you get sponsors for the back of your shirts, but companies like Custom Ink have lower and lower prices the more shirts you order. You just have to find the place that fits your needs, meets your expectations, and fits your budget. I don't know about you and your moms, but Momma C and I go CRAZY over FFA shirts. I am not kidding when I say that they make up about half of my wardrobe. I even go as far as wearing the same long sleeved t-shirt and sweatshirt as the same time. But I am a crazy about FFAshirts, in all styles and colors. Most chapters already have shirts that students buy, but if you make them available to parents and family members , that is where it becomes it's own glorified fundraiser.  

     Now I am sure that many other chapters have great fundraisers out there like selling welding art, dances, food booths at fairs, etc, but those are definitely my top three. This way the students that want to be involved can be and the chapter makes the money that it needs in order to keep the dream going. Money has a lot to do with things, but it doesn't always have to be a problem. 

      So I have a big announcement. Both during my State Officer year and as I continue to be involved with FFA, I am amazed by the members. So I have decided that from now on, once a month, I will highlight an FFA member. I want others to see the good works that their fellow associates are doing and how broad of an organization FFA can be.  That being said, the next blog post that I get up will not be about me rambling on about something, rather a somebody. Stay tuned to see who this lucky person is and hear about their FFA experience. 

Peace, Love, and FFA 

McKenzie 

When Life Gives You Lemons

     When I started blogging, I never realized that the number one hardest thing about blogging would be coming up with the inspiration to write posts. When I first started, I thought that nobody would read my blog, but I have over 1,630 page views. As I grow older and more advanced into my schooling years, the further displaced I become from FFA and its current members. This isn't something by choice, but rather just by "fate". And as I continue to carry on my blogging endeavors, I realized that this blog continues to become less and less about FFA and the tricks to "survive", but rather the life I have found outside the blue jacket and the tricks of the trade I have picked up. My point is things are not always as they seem.
     Coming from a person who has had her life planned out since she was five, change and the unknown is something that is so very scary. Ever since I was little, I have dreamed and believed that I was going to grow up to be a vet and as that becomes closer and closer, there are things that are blocking my way and making me look for a plan B. I have NEVER been the person to have a plan B. The idea of having to follow a plan B was so inconceivable that I refused to even think that it could be a possibility in my life. But I have found that my lack of test taking skills are proving to be more of a problem then I perceived in high school. It wasn't for a lack of trying, or in this case lack of studying. I literally book a study room for more than half the day and would spend most of my time using different study methods to try and prepare myself for the test. This process wouldn't just start a couple days before, this was a continual process from the day the semester started. Soon after being forced to read the writing on the wall, I realized that this too was life giving me lemons. If it weren't for my lacking qualities, I would have never found or even considered, researched, or pondered the fact of being an Animal Nutritionist or the fact that I quite enjoy the practice. And because I was forced to look for a future elsewhere, I was able to gain some important contacts within the field that can and will prove to be important.
     This whole situation may seem so small and not very life rattling, but that it did to my life. If you are as goal oriented and singularly path walker as I am, you will know that for something so very big and monumental in my life changing altered my way of thinking for a few days. Being a vet has been one of the largest rocks in my life. I could always count on my plan for my life and that was something that could and would never change. And when that started changing, I felt like my world was crumbling beneath my feet. I wasn't sure what to think. I started to second guess all the decisions I had made in my life and the ones that I thought I wanted to make for my future. For the first time in my life, I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure what my next step was going to be. And as strange as it sounds, I kind of felt like my identity was slipping. But most of all I was scared. As a very OCD and futuristic minded person, the idea of something like that was monumental.
      What scared me more than the change, strangely enough, was the thought of disappointment. For as long as I can remember, my mom and dad have introduced me as their daughter who loves animals and was going to be a vet one day. Especially in the last few years, every time that I was introduced to one of their acquaintances, I was their eldest daughter who is currently a pre-vet student at Utah State University. Needless to say, it circles back to my plans being a big part of my identity.  I was worried that I would let my parents down if I abandoned the idea after all these years. But more than anything else, I was worried about disappointing myself. I was worried that if I switched my major and not even attempt to apply for vet school, that I would regret my decision later on down the road. I didn't think that I would be able to live with the fact of not knowing what could have happened if I had stood steadfast on my course and applied to get my DVM.
     For almost a week, I felt like my world had been flipped upside down and that all the things that I have come to know and count on vanished with the solid ground below my feet.
     But you know what? It worked out.
     Like most things, they seem bigger than they really are when you are stuck in the middle of it. The mistakes and decisions we have made along the way have seemed so consequential. What we can't see while we are in the thick of it is what kind of consequence it is. All growing up, my momma said that there is always a consequences to our actions, some good and some bad, and sometimes we have to make decisions in this life and stand by them and suffer through what ever consequence comes our way.
     When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
     Alone, lemons are bitter and make a persons' face contort in all sorts of disgusting directions. But if you add a little sugar and water, those lemons can be the sweetest and most refreshing things in the world.
     And that is just what I had to do. I had to take those horrid lemons, add a little sugar water, and make the best of what was being handed to me. Instead of letting all of my fear and worry overcome my whole being and distorting my thought processes, I had to step back, draw it out, and think. I had to think about what it was that I truly want in my life. I had to think about where I wanted to be in 5 to 10 years. I had to think about what it would take to make me happy.
     Low and behold, beyond all odds, a conclusion came.
     I would stick my fingers into many pies. I would stay the major that I am currently in right now, but I would streamline the classes I would take. By removing all the excess classes that were just credit fillers, I was able to fit in all the classes that I would need in order to go directly into the nutrition graduate program. Not only that, I will still be able to apply to vet school with an emphasis in nutrition. Despite what others told me, I was able to have the best of both worlds.
      Lemonade people. Freaking lemonade.
      Now I know that this post, and more than likely many more to come will have very little ties to the FFA organization, but the way I see it, it is through the life of others, that we are able to learn. So if this is able to help one person out of rut that they can't seem to get out of, that is more than enough. But more than that, even outside of the blue jacket the motto still stands true.

Learning to Do,

Doing to Learn, 

Earning to Live,

Living to Serve. 

    All the things that we do in and out of the jacket keeps us learning, doing, earning, and living. And the way I see it, my blog is just cataloging me doing so as I go. So don't be afraid of those lemons and consequences, mixed with a little sugar, they make us the people that we are today. 

Making Lemonade,

McKenzie

Basset Hound. Amazing kitchen with that sexy kitchen range. Yep my life in 10 years right there. 

Horror Stories of National Convention

     How punny of me, seems how Halloween is coming up and students around the country are starting to gathering to start off National Convention, so I thought that I would share a few stories about my trips to Nationals.

    The first time I went with my chapter and there was very little horror stories involved but when I was a few years older and what I thought to be wiser, I went to Nationals as a State Officer and as a delegate. But this time I was sicker than a dog. Like all through delegate sessions I was so drowsy from cold medicine that I was trying to counteract it by drinking Red Bull's (I do not endorse that, it wasn't fun, trust me people). So anyways, one night, the team was hanging out and I had mentioned that all I wanted was some Thera-Flu so I could get a decent nights sleep and kick my cold faster. Daniel, being the sweetheart that he is, looked up the nearest grocery store and said that it was just a mile away and a 15 minute walk. Erin, Alyssa, Daniel, and myself step out into the dusky night, it starts to downpour. And I am not talking Idaho rain, where it sprinkles for a minute and then stops for a few hours and then starts up again. I am talking like huge globs of water that was beating down on us. Literally within minutes of us being outside the hotel room, we were soaked. As you could imagine, this did NOT make my cold any better. But Danial and Erin were persistent that we would continue on to the grocery store to get my cold medicine. We continued on for the next hour and a half. Soon enough we rounded a corner and saw the Kroger's. As we approached the front doors, one of the clerks from inside came out and said," Sorry we are closing, you can't come in." Completely drenched and quite irritated by how far we had walked and with sore feet from not only wearing offical dress heels for two days already but having walked a great ordeal, Erin threw her hands up in the air and yelled," Are you kidding me? We walked 7 miles for you to close?!?" The eyes of the clerk got really large and she apologetically said that we had 5 minutes to get what we needed and pay and get out of the store. We bustled inside to grab my medicine only to find the Washington State Officers with their Coordinator checking out. They, knowing that we didn't have a rental car, quickly offered to give us a ride back to the hotel. Thank God for them because I don't know if my sick butt could have walked me all the way back to the hotel.

     A couple days after that fiasco, we were supposed to be up and down at the lobby by 7 because we had officer pictures before the state picture. Mind you, the girls were ALWAYS 15 minutes early and it wasn't very often that we didn't have to wait for the boys. We accredited our punctuality to the six different alarms that went off from three different devices. Usually Erin and I were up by the time the second or third alarm went off and Alyssa would be up and already halfway ready before the fifth alarm even thought about going off. This morning was different. Somehow we had slept through all six of the alarms and the wake up call we received was from Brett at.......... 7:07. We all bolted upright and threw official dress on in record time and grabbed ponytails, eyeliner, mascara, and a tiny pallet of eyeshadow that I take on trips in case of emergency, like having to do my make up in the car. Needless to say we were downstairs by 7:15. Finding a little time in a convention center bathroom to hurry and smooth back our hair and blot on a little make up, we took our State Officer pictures that we later used for our business cards and all the pictures for State Convention.

I mean aren't we cute. You can't even tell that we got ready in 10 minutes.

Mr. Delaware (aka AJ)

      Well enough about the gory things that happened, I want to finish off this homage to National Convention to one of the greatest things that happened during my State Officer year that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't traveled to Kentucky. I got to meet so many people, especially my good friend AJ, who I call Delaware. Throughout convention we had joked and shared stories and became great friends. On the night of the dance, when I came back to the hotel, I found a group of State Officers having their own little dance. I got the chance to teach my Delaware friend how to swing dance and I got to learn plenty of other moves from South Dakota, Minnesota, New York, Utah, and a handful of other states. For the rest of the night, a group of us sat in the hall, ate pizza, and talked about our home states, our associations, our years thus far, and, of course, all things FFA. I made friends that I continue to talk to every day. Although we don't talk as much as we did right after convention, those are people and times that I wouldn't give up for anything.
     So enjoy to all of you who are our having fun at National Convention! It is an amazing time and will give you more memories than you can imagine. I am so jealous of all the fun that you all seem to be having. Good luck to all those who are competing in various CDE's representing Idaho! I know you are going to absolutely kill it. Good luck to all those who are running for National Office, you people are definitely the cream of the crop and I cannot wait to see the new Officer team. I will always regret not having the bravery you people have in running for office. Good luck to all and have fun!

Oh weren't we so darn cute. You can't even tell that we woke up late. 

These started off as a spoof. We were shooting pictures for our Christmas cards and the boys decided it would be funny to take some pictures with their suspenders. The girls decided that they wanted to do the same, and so these spoof pictures was the product. They turned out pretty fun, if I do say so myself.

This was taken on the plane ride home. We were EXHAUSTED. Great trip. 

This was the boys at the Dirks Bently concert. Note Kyle's face. Yep, soak it in. 

My grandma hunted down a sock monkey with a blue jacket for me after I got State Office. Fittingly named Leslie Applegate (who knows their FFA history?!?), my sock monkey traveled with me everywhere and how could I NOT take him with me to National Convention. I mean come one people!

Peace, Love, and FFA!
McKenzie

Own Your Own Crazy

     Quirks. Attributes. Character. Crazy. No matter what you call it, each and every person has them. But the biggest thing about our "crazy" is that if we don't learn to accept it, it can often times hold us back from being the person that we would want to grow to become. I am sure that y'all are thinking, well "Duh, easier said than done, McKenzie." And I get that. It is totally easier said than done, but trust me it is feasible and totally worth it. It is these little characters that make you the person you are. Don't get me wrong, there are certain times that hiding your crazy is a little okay, but it shouldn't be something that you should do constantly. For the longest time in my life, I truly believed that if I didn't seem "normal" then I wouldn't fit the form of a good leader. "Hiding" my crazy became something that I did every single day. It wasn't until I got into college that I realized what my crazy really was and how to accept it.
     "But Kenz, how could you ever think you are crazy?!" Well that is so kind of you. But the fact that I am having a two way conversation with myself and assuming you are thinking that. That is a little crazy. But nonetheless, I have plenty of crazy to go around, not matter if it is my crazy addictions, or my crazy mannerisms, or my crazy habits. And I think that it is time that I share my crazy with all who will listen.

Kenzie's Crazy List

-  I am OCD. But selectively OCD. When it comes to alphabetizing, color coordinating, organizing by size, making things square, and things being straight. Those and a few other things. 

- I am not OCD about my room. It tends to be a little on the dishevelled side. Organized Chaos. But it works for me.

- I am a master packer. Like unless you have seen me pack, you don't know how well I can pack. Yes, I did a post about it, but that really didn't do it justice. But my packing skills are not contained to just packing in a bag. I am like the ultimate Tetras player. When it comes to packing bags in a car or under a bus, I can fit more bags then even my mom (who is super good herself by the way).

- I have this huge thing for whiteboards. Like I spend most of my day in a study room with a huge whiteboard. I bring my own whiteboard markers so that I can color coordinate (refer to first crazy) and study a little better. I am so obsessed with whiteboards that my boyfriend made me a fancy whiteboard for Christmas. BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER!

- If I am not wearing my boots or my Roper's, I am constantly wearing my Sperry's. Those things are the most ragged things you have probably seen. And Lordy Moses do they smell to high heavens. No matter if I wear them with socks or not, those things can gas up a room in no time. But goodness, they are the most comfortable things ever. Get yourself a pair and you will understand the obsession. - I literally think that Taco Tuesday should be a religion. If you have never had a half-descent carne asada taco then you have never lived. Enough said.

- I have a lot of little phrases that I use all the time, like the one above. Lordy Moses. Oh My Lanta. For the Love of Cheese and Crackers. Cool Beans. There are a lot of other ones I use. Maybe they aren't specifically special to me, but I use them enough they should be. 

- I have a thing for dogs with large ears, droopy eyes, long nose. That's right people, Basset Hound lover right here. I drool over those sad faces as the breeders on my Facebook feed post photos. When I get one her name will be Dixie. It is not IF it is WHEN. 

- Next to tacos, Apple Cider is another thing that I cannot get enough of. It could be 100 degrees outside and I will still be drinking apple cider. 

- Despite my tom-boyish ways, I love to get my nails done. My acrylic nails have become a part of me. But there is no better feeling than having a little bit of pampering every couple of weeks. 

- And one of the last ones is I like to eat salsa with popcorn. Strange, yes. But it goes together like french fries and Frosties. Don't knock it till you try it. 

     Now I am sure that that whole big long list above looks like a bunch of nonsense, but that is a little bit of my crazy. Trust me when I say that there is a whole lot more, but that is the general idea. And believe it or not, I have been judged and made fun of because of several of these things. I have been called CDO (OCD alphabetized), picky and overly obsessed, easily amused, and food crazy. Unless you are me, most people don't understand my crazy and how it all plays out in my head. In the end, it is who I am and I love who I am. 

     So people, I challenge you to identify your crazy. Own your own crazy. 

Peace, Love, and FFA

McKenzie "The Crazy"

Here By the Owl

     As I scrolled through my Facebook feed, I smiled as I looked through the pictures of FFA members and their advisors in celebration of National Teach Ag Day. Other than spreading the word about the importance and great need for agricultural education teachers around the nation, we are also expressing our deep appreciation for the advisors who have had an impact on our lives. So what a better way to celebrate my advisors then a blog post!
    Although I didn't have a traditional Ag teacher-loving-experience, I don't discredit it, I just give the credit where it is due. The thing you have to know about ag teachers is that.... They are HUMAN. They make mistakes and personalities clash, and I get that, so I won't dwell on the angst from the past. Rather I would love to express the good.
    And then there is Ms. Mosman... ha just kidding people. This lady is the freaking bomb! Despite the fact that she was not my advisor while I was in high school, she made up for lost time while I was a state officer. There are only a few people who know what it is like to be a state officer and know what we go on a day to day basis. As I struggled to cope during my first FFA event at State CDEs, she simply said to me, " Mind over matter kid. If you tell yourself you are not tired, you aren't tired. If you tell yourself you are energetic, then you will be energetic. You have to tell yourself to do things you don't want to do because the next year will be filled of coming out of your comfort zone and doing things that you don't want to do." She constantly gave me comments and advice when I was giving workshops or even just helping her out. Mosman is a leader and expects excellence out of all those who are around her. I admire that. She pushes and encourages so that her students are the best they can be. I have watched how her presence in my home chapter has dramatically shifted the expectations and the progress towards how a chapter of our caliper should resemble. Although she decided to take the time off to better herself and continue her education, her example to the kids in the chapter continues and I can attest to the fact that I  myself and those in the chapter cannot wait until her return.
    Mr. Shirts. Shirts-y. The Silver Fox. Man of a Thousand Faces. Shirts. This man, words cannot describe to you what he means to me. Unfortunately, he has taught me to develop an unhealthy need for Tootsie-Pops and Mountain Dew (okay maybe that last need was already there). He mentored me in the ways of the many faces making my current Snap Chat game quite strong. He also created monster when he introduced me to the Dairy Foods CDE and still refers to me as the "Cheese Whiz" and the "Dairy Queen". Although he has an occasional habit of losing papers and stealing tomatoes out of our garden, I love him to death. This man has stood by me in my good and bad days. I can still remember the gleam in his eyes as I hugged him after I was announced as the State Treasurer. The pride and joy that he had for me radiated and washed over me and he told me he knew that I could do it. His complete and utter belief in me continues to stun me. He is always there to listen and to heckle me about one thing or another to make sure that I always have a cheery disposition. His heart is bigger than what he lets on, but he never ceases to amaze when it comes to the welfare of his kids. Once you get through the rough exterior, there is a man who loves the FFA organization, this FFA kids, and all those he has touched along the way. Don't let him fool you. Believe me, he will try. And as many times as he says he doesn't love Dairy Foods, don't believe him. We all know he loves that CDE more than he loves Forrestry. Lets be honest. Mr. Shirts, you have made an immense impact on me and for that I am eternally grateful, and I hope that one day I will be able to influence those around me just as much as you do to your students each and every day. Thank you, thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do for me each and every day.
    Our advisors put in  more hours than most will know. They teach by day, grade papers, and then are there at chapter meetings or events by night. They train teams and they lose sleep over things that are happening in the chapter. They have put in their heart and sole into everything that they do. And I can attest to the fact that they would not be who they are or ag teachers period if they didn't love the National FFA Organization and agriculture. These men and women sit in the background and prepare the next chapter, district, state, and national officers. They deserve a little recognition. So thank you. Thank you to all the FFA advisors out there and all the work that you do, noticed and unnoticed. What you do day in and day out is what inspires these young people to be the people they want to be.

Shirts texted me this picture the first week of school. Needless to say it is his contact photo now. This is why he is so great. 

Peace, Love, and FFA
McKenzie

Be-YOU-tiful

     Hey y'all! I hope that you all have survived your first weeks of schools, countless county fairs and various opening socials. I have enjoyed seeing the highlight reel on social media. Keep them coming!
     Speaking of social media, something that has crossed my news feed several times are pictures of women with half their face made up and half of it left natural. I have always found the art of make up quite fascinating and have enjoyed for the past few years to figure out how to use it in a way to highlight my features and even make me look like one of those girls on "Toddlers and Tiaras". What I have discovered is that make up can do amazing things to one's appearance. It is honestly amazing me how much various mixtures, colors, glitters, powders, and liquids can have such a big impact.
     So I decided to do my own half and half experience.

      I did just what I normally would do if I were going to go out dancing. Note: I don't do ALL of it when I go to class. Let's be honest, I am in college. I am looking a lot more dressed for the day if I have eyeliner and mascara on and my hair is straightened. 

      My "done" side of my face was primed, liquid contoured, powdered, powdered contoured. I primed my eyes and applied at least four different layers and colors of eye shadows that I then blended and highlighted with a fifth color. Carefully, liquid eye liner was applied then more smudily (yep, totally made up a word) black and white pencil liner was added to add dimension. And to top it all off, several coats of a couple different kinds of mascara were painted on with a little red lipstick to be the cherry on top of all the icing. 

     As it turns out, I quite like just doing half of my face because I don't have to worry about making the other side of my face even. No matter how even I think I get my eyeliner, my signature "cat-eye" liner is never completely even. Trust me I try very very hard. 

     Lets look at my handy work shall we?

     Now I won't lie to you, I do like my eyes with at least some mascara. It hasn't been until recently that I would even allow myself to walk around the house without at least a little bit of eye make up on. And for years I was jealous of those girls who wore no make up and still looked super gorgeous. Don't take that as I don't like myself and I think that I am ugly without it, I just prefer myself with it. 

     Society these days play make up off to be as a necessary evil. You are no longer  fully dressed with just a smile, but must have three layers of make up and a full-lipped pout in order to be "fully dressed" in the eyes of society. When you scroll through social media there is always a picture of a Kardashian sister with their full, Botox injected lips, contoured facial structure, and painted on eye make up. New make up tips from various magazines pop up in various articles with hacks for new products to obtain to make your look flawless. 

     Not gonna lie, I don't mind looking at new articles and ways to do things different and better. I also have quite the make up case with more products than my mother and sisters combined. I have an arsenal of eye shadow pallets and foundation and matching powders for all the different skin tones my face will turn during the different seasons. I am a consumer. 

      But what I want to say to those girls who read this is, don't let make up define who you are. Yes it can accent your features and make you look "more beautiful", but don't let it consume your life. I'm not saying throw all your beauty product into the trash, I mean honestly lets not make any rash decisions. What I am challenging you to do is not be dependent on artificial products to value your physical beauty and self worth, but rather look within. Work on accepting yourself for the way God made you. I could quote a lot of songs about empowering the real you and how you are amazing just the way you are (ha I did it anyway haha), but I won't go that far. Just think. Be aware. Pay attention. Don't be afraid to be you. You don't have to try (ha! there I go again). 

     So there is my #halfmakeup challenge. I am not one to follow trends and usually back down and refuse to do anything when called out to do a challenge because I don't think that they always get their true purpose across rather they attract attention elsewhere. However, I truly believe that this is a challenge that shows the true beauty inside and out. So go on, show me your #halfmakeup face. 

     But more importantly, don't be afraid to take it all off. 

Until next time!

Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie

When the World Stopped Turning

     "Where were you when the world stopped turning, that September day."
     Today is a day that as a culture, we will never forget. It was a day that was darkened by the smoke, ash, and rubble. Blood ran cold as many watched in denial and awe as the planes struck those beacons of architectural grandeur.
     So where were you when the world stopped turning? Although Alan Jackson may have said it best and the song still rings true to the feelings that were felt on that day, it is a reminder to never forget what had happened that day 14 years ago.
     Where was I? I can distinctly remember the sound of the vacuum in my parents room as I continued to turn up the tv so that I could hear the daily episode of "Arthur" better. My little 6 year old self was angry when some being of greater power switched from my show to a live news broadcast. I remember my mom stopping in her tracks as she stared teary-eyed into the television as the second plane hit. Little did I know, life was changing.
     For the weeks that followed, I can vaguely recall news broadcasts about raids with black and white footage from soldiers that were on the ground in a place far far away. I didn't know what any of that meant then, but the present customs, political views, and racial awareness is a constant reminder of that day.
     Years later as I sat in my sixth grade classroom, Mr. Sasaki sat misty-eyed on his wooden stool behind his sticker laden podium as he recalled that September day. His daughter at the time was a flight attendant for Delta airlines and was based out of New York City. She had left Boise airport on September 10th with a flight that would arrive in New York City the next morning at 9:30 EST. He recalls watching the news with his wife when the breaking news banner ran across the top of the screen. Before him he saw a nightmare he wished never came true. A plane, flying into a building. Frantically he tried to make contact with his daughter. Tears choked his throat as he stared at his tennis shoes.
     With a sigh, he looked up and glanced over the class and recalled receiving a reliving call hours after the second tower was struck. Overcome with emotion his daughter told him about how she couldn't stop staring at the Twin Towers as the morning sun gleamed from their shiny rooftops. How she couldn't believe that she lived in a place filled with such beauty and glorious structures. 10 minutes after gazing upon their gleaming spires and after landing and escorting travelers off the plane, she looked behind her to get one last look at those towers. What she saw was no longer the two beacons of industrial beauty, it was plumes of smoke.
    They both will always remember where they were when the world stopped turning.
   We now stand as the generation that were young and clueless but are now the adults. But we are also the adults who are rioting in the streets, taking the lives of men and women who have sworn to protect other's lives, turning on each other with malice and no regard for human life. It makes me wonder that if we as a people have forgotten how it felt to be attacked by those who had no regard for the lives on those planes and in those towers. I sit and ponder about how on earth we have forgotten about the brotherhood that the American people felt towards one another after the buildings collapsed. Men, women, and children of all different walks of life, races, and religions held hands and comforted those around them. Complete strangers gathered together to pray for those who had passed, who were trapped, who rescued, who lived.
      Today we live in a country where there are those who are disrespecting the flag that we clung to 14 years ago. Today we are surrounded by so much turmoil within our nation we forget that we are indeed a nation, united under the grace of God. Today we attempt to never forget the men and women who lost their lives in the rubble or in the attempt to rescue those in the rubble. But it is today that we need to stand as a nation to become the great nation that those firemen, policemen, and citizens who perished remember and love.
       I remember where I was when the world stopped turning, and I will continue to remember what it is to be an American with pride and gratitude. I will always remember where I was when the world stopped turning on that September day.