Behind The Scenes

by Michele Boy | July 27, 2023

Here we are a few days after the county fair and I am the first to admit this edition is light. 
 Behind the scenes, my team member got the opportunity to go away on a vacation and I am trying to prepare the fair insert for you for next week.
 Behind the scenes. We only experience what we see. It is rare you get a glimpse of what goes on in the background.
My hair hasn’t been done in over a month. Washed yes, styled? No.
 This was my first fair with my fitness watch. I recorded 27 miles for the week. 26.96 to be accurate. 
I wasn’t in the office. Some important weekly tasks were put on hold.
And if there are any pictures of me, I am soaked in sweat from the heat and humidity. 
I was not the only one.  
  A lot of work goes on behind the scenes of everything. Maybe that’s why getting involved in community events or serving on boards is so important. 
It is easy to sit back and critique what has been done or not done. But if you knew some of the obstacles people are dealing with, I think we would have more compassion.  If you saw all the work many of these kids put in for months to walk into the sale ring, I think you would be proud. 
 Things you didn’t see. You didn’t see kids carrying things to lighten someone else’s load. You didn’t observe an older kid throwing a football around with a younger kid. You didn’t get the opportunity to see friends wiping tears away from each others eyes, or other parents cheering on your kid and vice versa.  My daughter was busy one afternoon, so a young 4-Her offered to help me walk her sheep. 
Several kids took the time to teach younger kids about their projects and encourage them. 
Was there negative? Yes. People were hurt, others said unkind things, some snapped at others.  I hope in a year I just remember that my child worked hard on her projects, did better at some, not as great at others. I hope in the end we remember this is about doing better than you did before. That you learned, that you grew. Maybe you tried something new. 
There are a lot of life lessons to be learned at the fair. Sometimes things don’t go your way in life. Sometimes you have to see the progress even if you didn’t win the banner or buckle. 
Sometimes you have to shake the judge’s hand anyway. 
 And once in a while, you get to smile because you did win. You did the work. You won the banner or the buckle. And you have to be a gracious winner. 
 In the end, we are all busy teaching our kids lessons. I hope at some point in the next few weeks you can take the opportunity to see where you nailed it, where you can improve, where you can offer grace, and maybe take a hard look at how you failed. That one is hard. 

“You can't go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.”- C.S. Lewis