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Have you ever worked so hard – you wound up getting sick!?
A couple months ago, I joined a recreational stair stepper group. We meet on Wednesdays in the Edmonton River Valley. If you’ve visited the area, you’ve undoubtedly noticed how beautiful it is! …Unless you’re the kind of driver who diligently keeps their eyes on the road!
The River Valley is also home to exercisers from all walks of life, including, but not limited to: runners, mom-joggers with strollers, dad-bikers with beards, yoga-enthusiasts wearing yoga pants…
So, yeah! Keeping your eyes on the trails/roads can have its difficulties… Just this Wednesday, we witnessed a troupe of fit-hipsters traversing an eighty-foot slackline between two trees in the park, while others kept busy walking on their hands and doing one-legged “namaste” squats. Normally, I like to stretch before running down and up five superlong flights of stairs. But, I was late arriving Wednesday, so the only stretch I got was walking from my vehicle.
GO TIME!!
The first set; easy peasy! … Now, obviously, whoever invented the saying, “easy peasy” has never tried growing peas… let alone eating them with a fork.
The second set; fine going down, tough coming up!
Third set; are we done yet…?
Fourth; “I don’t like the River Valley! I think it sucks!”
Fifth; “Jared! Push, buddy! You can still beat your time!”
… Well, I didn’t want to push on that fifth set. But I did. I pushed hard! So hard, I collapsed on a patch of grass at the top, underneath the shade of a big bur oak tree. The prize for beating my time – I found out – was a mixture of pride, bleeding lungs, and the immediate shutdown of my immune system!
Within fifteen minutes, my nose started running, I started sneezing, and the cold I had been effortlessly fighting over the past week hopped in the driver’s seat and proceeded to take me on a wild ride.
I’m still not feeling great. But, though I want to blame my friends and spleen, deep down, I know I have nobody to blame but myself… I had skipped the previous four Wednesdays and wasn’t ready to run the stairs, let alone beat my previous time.
What did I learn, you ask?
Well, one side of me still argues that I didn’t learn anything. That you can do anything you put your mind to… That a person is defined by their effort, persistence and true grit… But the sick, cold-encumbered side of me isn’t as sure. Would I still be feeling this way had I been more prepared? I don’t think I would be…
“Preparation. Planning. Doing stuff before the due date. These are a few of my least favorite things.” – From the not-so-popular movie, The Sound of Music Bothers Me.
… “But I’m a third-degree procrastinator black belt,” I argued. “I’ve earned my stripes. Right…?”
“But Jared,” the cold replied, while driving us back home, “it’s not just about beating your time. It’s about doing your best! Tell me… do you honestly think you did your best today?”
I hated him so much for asking me that… I never did answer him, but he was right.
***
Farming is a series of sprints and pushes. Every time you seed, spray or harvest, you’re putting yourself and your equipment to the test!
How do you feel about stepping into the combine this next month? Excited? … A touch nervous…? Well, you have every right to be if you are. Last year was not overly “easy-peasy“. But you know what!? Because of it, you’re actually more prepared than you’ve ever been! Distractions… They’re everywhere! Keep your eyes on the road and you’ll reach your destination this harvest! And unlike me, hopefully you don’t have to curl up in a ball afterward to catch your breath!
Need directions? Give us a call! We’re ready and waiting!
Because Farming is Forever,
Jared Seitz
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