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Don't let ribbon colors define success in life"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up," Thomas Edison. If there's one lesson I learned in 11 years of 4-H membership it is this: Giving up never gets you anywhere. Oh, I failed--more times than I can recount in this column. There were little failures, like the seams in the dress that didn't measure up to the judge's critique. And there were the big failures, like the cattle who acted like fools in the show ring. I have my share of white and red ribbons in a shoe box in my closet. I didn't succeed at everything I set out to do back then, and I still don't today. I am only human afterall. But long ago learned to see those red and white ribbons not as measures of my worth, but as incentives to improve on my next try. In this season of county fairs and youth competitions, it's a message worth repeating to parents and their children. Sometimes, the best ribbon a child can receive isn't always purple. Sometimes it's those red and white ribbons that are the best inspiration for future success. If I'd walked away from 4-H because of one little white ribbon, I would have missed the joy of working harder for the eventual trophies and honors that came my way. Sure, my cattle weren't usually at the top of their games in the showring, but I eventually built up a small herd of solid females that helped pay for some of my education. Maybe my sewing projects weren't always purple-ribbon-worthy, but as an adult I can sew on my own buttons and make my own curtains. I didn't let a little thing like a white ribbon define my worth then, and I'm a better adult for it now. Looking back, if I'd given up at the sight of a red ribbon, I never would have reaped all the success that 4-H had to offer this country girl. I traveled to different states and saw some of the world outside of our little community because of 4-H. I made life-long friends from across the state because of 4-H. I attended college on 4-H scholarships and I became involved in leadership activities because of 4-H. Sure, those many white and red ribbons were hard to accept as a kid. It's disappointing to be told by a judge that your best on that particular day wasn't good enough. And yes, there were the occasional tears of frustration and vows to quit. Let's be honest, we all enjoy the feeling of winning. I'm a trophy hound as much as the next competitor. The walls of my cubicle here at work are lined with the awards I've received in my short career. I won't pretend to be a hypocrite--I like the thrill of a good win, and I always have. But, the greatest awards I've ever received weren't plaques or purple rosettes handed out by judges. It was the sight of my parents sitting in the bleachers in the middle of a humid Kansas August day. It was the hours my mother spent teaching me to sew and crochet and garden. It was my brother helping me halter break steers, and my sister curling my hair before a fashion show. It was my father, taking time from summer farm work to load up a trailer with animals and tack and drive across the county to the fair. Now that I'm an adult, I'm glad to say that my success in my life hasn't been determined by how many dusty trophies I have sitting on my shelves, or how many purple ribbons I have crammed in a shoebox in my closet. Because I didn't give up back then, I'm able to persevere now, no matter the obstacle. In the end, a ribbon is just a ribbon. It's what you learn from the experience that should be your greatest reward. Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com. C 5 7/23/07 None Date: 7/17/07
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