1. This is not an admission of the sex of baby Wright. We are still waiting until delivery to find out what baby is. So before my friends go buy all the stores out of pink, WE STILL DON'T KNOW. Please don't give my husband an aneurysm by referring to it as a girl. :)
2. I am not a feminist. I don't need to shout from the rooftops that I am a strong independent woman who can do anything men can do. For one, I can't do everything men can do. For two, my ability to lead, to work hard, and to be a rational human being should show in my actions, not have to be explained.
Now that we have gender talk out of the way....
I hope my future daughter loves corduroy. I hope my daughter/s are a lot of things someday- kind, humble, confident, passionate, responsible, hard working. Sorry kid, you've got a tall order. But I don't think I am alone in expecting this from our youth. And while I have always known that FFA instills and reinforces many of these values in young people, I saw firsthand yesterday in a new light the way FFA can affect a young person's life.
I mention FFA a lot around these parts....ok, around all parts. But with good reason. It is Kansas FFA state convention week, and though I have only been able to catch glimpses of convention this year, I did get to sit in on the prepared public speaking finals, where I found a whole new reason to love that blue corduroy jacket.
The prepared public speaking event in FFA is just one opportunity available to FFA members. Members have the chance to compete in this Career Development Event or "CDE" (so named for the career skills learned in these competitions) and many others (check out all of them!) throughout the year, qualifying for state and then national contests. In prepared public speaking, students research an agricultural topic, prepare a manuscript with cited sources, and then practice presenting a 6-8 minute speech that will be judged on content, grammar, and their oral and non-verbal communication skills.
Being away from the FFA world for a full year now, I have seen many young ladies (and men for that matter) who place their value in their makeup and hairstyle, their clothes, and being up to date on the latest social media trend, having cool gadgets, and always having a sarcastic comment. Yes, they are teenagers. Yes they should have fun and enjoy discovering who they are and how they want to portray themselves to the world. But yesterday, I had the privilege of seeing four young women who have found something so much longer lasting to place their value in- their own ability to work hard and intelligently. (or as my fellow FFA members are probably thinking- to work efficiently and think clearly, -thanks E.M. Tiffany) And let me tell you, they were kicking butt.
Yesterday, I saw the top four prepared public speaking students in Kansas present their research and ideas on agriculture topics of their choosing. And I was blown away. Seeing them present their speeches with poise and confidence, there is no doubt they put in many hard hours of work. Watching them respond to the judges questions with organized thoughts and statistically backed up information on their topics with knowledge that came from reading countless news articles and discussing their topic with experts, made me swell with pride for these ladies that I have never even met. How incredibly reassuring it is to see young ladies who have found value in the effort they put into their passions and their own ability to provide input on important issues.
And these were not simple issues they tackled- their topics included consumer perception in agriculture production, the scientific practice of artificial insemination, and the challenges of obesity and nutrition in rural America. These four young ladies showed skill that many adults and college students cannot claim, overcoming the fear of speaking in front of others, and having the ability to research a topic and discuss it comfortably with experts in agriculture.
Seeing these confident, intelligent young women made me so proud of them. They were being noticed, and not for their hair, makeup, and clothes, but for the incredible confidence, skill and intelligence they demonstrated.
That is why I hope my daughter/s grow up to be FFA members, who love the ever unfashionable blue corduroy jacket that will always be sweltering in summer, and freezing in winter, but will always be my favorite jacket I have ever worn.
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