"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."--Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's a new year and a new beginning.

Each year, on Jan. 1, I like to stop, and take stock of what I've done with my life and what I hope to do with it in the coming 365 days. I make a list of all the things that were important the year before and decide if I truly did the best I could to affect change.

Once I've looked at the past year, I then try to make a plan for the new year. This plan isn't a list of resolutions, because, let's face it, resolutions never last longer than the bubbles in the cheap champagne we drank on New Year's Eve. Rather, they are goals and ideals--targets if you will--for how I want to be in the coming year and beyond.

Anyone who knows me will tell you I have a tendency to be vocal about things in which I believe. I believe people have a duty to help each other be our best. I believe that farmers and ranchers deserve the respect and admiration of those whom they feed and clothe. I believe that children should have every opportunity to learn and grow within boundaries so they can become productive members of society. I believe in personal responsibility, respect for others, fair play and that we should share the bounty of our lives with those who have nothing.

See, I said I was vocal.

Now, while the beginning quote from Dr. King was meant for the 1960s civil rights movement I think it can apply to our modern farming and ranching lives in 2005. Let's ask ourselves, what truly matters to us, and what are we doing about it?

Look, I'm not advocating we all become rabid social activists and start parading down main street rallying for a million dollars and a pony for all farmers--there'll be time for that later, I promise. Nope, what I am asking us all to do today is sit down, make a list of what we want in our personal and professional lives and then see how we can change and work toward those goals.

Do you want to have a better relationship with your family and neighbors? Make it a priority to sit down for family meals in the coming year. Have a barbecue for your neighbors in the spring so you can enjoy their company and friendship. Volunteer to sponsor an outing for your children through school or church. Be a 4-H project leader and share your skills with youth. Better still, go to a school and teach children about agriculture and its role in their daily lives so that they respect the efforts put into their meals and clothing.

Is the nightly news too depressing for you to watch? Instead of turning off the tube, make yourself watch it and become aware of the suffering going on around you. Then, get up and do something to change it. Donate time and resources to local and national charities for those in need. Give blood when the Red Cross blood drive comes to your town. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister and mentor a child who desperately needs adult affirmation that they are valuable. When you give the smallest part of your heart and soul, you have the greatest return on your investment.

Our professional lives shouldn't be left out of this process either.

Would you like to have a more efficient and productive farming operation? Maybe the answer is in using new biotechnologies, farming practices and asking for help from the county Extension agent or a certified consultant. Perhaps it's time to have a professional do your farm books, taxes and financial planning. What resources are there that you can use to the advantage of your operation?

Are you fed up with the state of local, state and national agriculture policy? Pick a topic and anyone in the coffee shop will give you their point-of-view on it--crop subsidies, the farm program, conservation acreage, foreign trade agreements and more. But, have you ever asked them if they've actually tried to do something about it? Call your government representatives and tell them specifically what affect the farm program has had on your farm or ranch and what you would like to see in the next farm bill debates. Take the time to attend a state meeting of the various farm and ranch groups that have the ears of your Congressmen. Better yet, find a group that shares your viewpoints and support them with your membership.

Our actions don't have to be bold, but they must start somewhere. It's too easy to stay silent about the things that matter to us. It's too simple to just think "someone should really do something about that problem." Look in the mirror and realize that that someone is looking right back at you.

Happy New Year, folks, and let's make it a bright one.

Jennifer Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com.

Date: 1/18/05

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