Wildcat Wednesday: We rode in trucks

Reminiscing on growing up on a farm, one statement could not be truer than the title of this post (thank you, Luke Bryan, for the inspiration).

Just take a second to ponder everything you learned in a truck. For me, it went way beyond simply learning (the hard way) the difference between gas and diesel or not to get too hasty letting out on the clutch.

I felt pretty cool being the only student in Driver’s Education with a Farmer’s Permit, which meant I could drive myself to class…

…It also meant that I may or may not have been the only student to have a wreck on the way home from Driver’s Ed. But who’s keeping track?

Growing up on a farm means many hours are spent in a truck, but there are a few lessons that trump all the rest.

I’ll never forget riding around checking pastures with my dad while flipping through a Kansas Angus News or an old Kansas Angus directory stuck behind the seat, sharing memories and experiences about the various folks inside. Whether it was a story from his college days or the impact an older junior Angus member had on me, it was etched into me at an early age that you always have time for the people around you.

As I grow up I’m figuring out first-hand something that has been said time and time again: the agricultural industry is relatively small, and gets smaller every day.

So take advantage of that; you never know what doors it will open or who it will introduce you to next.

As cliché as may sound, it really is true that the harder you work, the luckier you get. I have been lucky enough to grow up in the Angus industry. Through it I have experienced some of my greatest triumphs, but also some of my most difficult, heartbreaking defeats. I learned real quickly that no matter what side of the fence you happen to fall on, you set a new goal and start working towards it.

For me this often included networking, physical and mental labor or writing/memorizing a speech in summer while driving around between chores.

Think about one of your greatest accomplishments. Was it achieved over night? Of course not. You dedicated countless hours to it, hoping for a desired outcome. Now what about something that didn’t quite turn out the way you expected? Everything happens for a reason, even if it is what my family refers to as “character building.”

In the end, whatever is meant to be, will be.

Lastly, in my mind the most important lesson I have learned is, always be passionate. I truly believe there isn’t a single industry that compares to the passion that agriculturists have. How extremely fortunate are we? We get to grow up in an environment where almost everybody is in love with what they do. We are constantly surrounded by family members, teachers, neighbors and friends who are dedicating their every ounce of being to turning their dream into a reality. Steps are taken to make our livelihood a little more efficient and a little higher quality every single day.

Mr. Bryan’s opening line to the song that inspired this blog title is: “Where I was born was Heaven on earth.”

I believe he nailed it. I just can’t get over how incredibly lucky I am: I grew up on a farm, working alongside my siblings who have become my best friends, and being surrounded by the greatest people who love what they do every day. These are just a few of life’s tidbits I gathered riding in trucks.

I wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

~Hannah McCabe

To get a peek at what life is like on Hannah’s home farm, check out this recent, “I Am Angus” segment:

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