The Rural Voice, 2019-03, Page 7Are you one of those persons who
loves quotes? I know they drive some
people nuts how they congregate on
Facebook memes and feel-good
annotations.
Yet there is something about a
pithy collection of words that can
deliver a hammer blow of truth
directly to the conscious mind.
I don’t see many farmers’ quotes
circulating on social media though I
gotta say, this hard-working group of
people is a rich source of down-home
truths that I’m thrilled to capture on
our new Ruralite page.
Like this one: “A good reputation
is hard to keep. A bad one is harder
to lose,” by Kim Lennox, a sheep
farmer for 35 years who recently sold
his flock of purebred Canadian
Arcotts to his son, Jay Lennox of
Ayton.
So true. Stories follow you around
forever, especially when you return
to the place where you grew up – as
many farmers do. I still have people
recount high school escapades, some
I’m proud of, some I am not, and that
was over 30 years ago!
I tell my kids that every person
they meet and deal with could one
day be their boss, client, customer or
family member. Try and treat
everyone with respect (so hard
sometimes) and then whatever
connection you make, it will be a
positive one.
That is something Jay Lennox is
learning as was revealed when he
laid out a quote of his own: “In
reality, there are more breeds of
sheep farmers than there are sheep
breeds,” he said. Bang on! Every
farmer is so individual with their
likes, dislikes, management style,
facilities, opportunities and cash
flow. All this variety is a source of
story material and wisdom on how to
adapt and thrive.
Part of respect is appreciating
each other’s differences and how we
can learn from them.
I was quite taken with Kim and
Jay. Most of my favourite interviews
happen around kitchen tables before
we pull on our boots and head to the
barn. This one was no different. The
words coming out of Jay’s mouth
were often an echo of a teaching I
heard expressed by Kim.
Like father, like son, they say and
these two demonstrated that. I’m sure
there’s lots of stories and sentiments
a journalist doesn’t see in the two
hours one spends with a family.
That’s okay. We all have stories we
reveal, and stories we withhold.
From what I did see, there was a
mutual respect as Kim, the father,
hands the reins of leadership over to
Jay, the son. Meanwhile Jay honours
his father by espousing his teachings
and articulating his goal of building
on his father’s reputation.
In fact, there were many
father/son stories in this magazine.
All three of the Master Breeder
Shield winners featured in this issue
were sons (and wives) who had taken
over the dairy farm from their fathers
(and mothers). Each son credited his
father for passing down a good cow
herd, giving them a genetically-
blessed cornerstone to expand their
own prefix on. In honouring their
fathers and, in some cases,
grandfathers, they show respect.
In my family, there is divorce and
brokenness and that is sweating-hard
to write. I carry shame and sadness
but also relief over it. Not all of it
was honourable or respectful as,
unfortunately, can happen during
divorce.
I think, though, once you’ve hit
the bottom and start climbing
towards the light, that new vision
amplifies the incredible value
character is when dealing with
people: Being respectful.
Honourable. Appreciative.Careful.
And kind...oh so kind.
So a shout-out to everyone I
interviewed this month and will
interview in the future. I’m watching
and listening for those “aha”
moments as Oprah calls them. I’m
collecting your experience and
wisdom and common sense; your
cleverness and your kindness. Partly
for The Rural Voice but also as a
studentsof life who hopes to always
connect with the seekers, scholars
and adventurers.
“We cannot live only for
ourselves. A thousand fibers connect
us with our fellow men; and among
those fibers, as sympathetic threads,
our actions run as causes, and they
come back to us as effects.”
~Herman Melville
March 2019 3
Quoting cause
and effect
Lisa B. Pot is
editor of The
Rural Voice
and farms in
Huron County
Lisa B. Pot
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WALTON
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519-887-6365
MOUNT FOREST
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519-323-4289