The Purpose of Life

by Michele Boy | October 6, 2022

It’s October. It’s almost Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
I love this time of year when it’s a little cooler, the biting black flies start to die off. 
For the first time in our lives, and our 4-H sheep project, we are going to keep animals longer and enter a couple fall/winter shows.
 I am a show mom. That makes me laugh and smile. I think back on my life and farming and sheep and western Kansas were never on my radar. And while it is plenty of work, I have never been happier. 
  I look back on the twentysomething New York City girl who wasn’t happy with the direction her life was taking. I am happy to report she worked hard, tried a few different things and found her place. If you told me then that place would be a farmer’s wife, a mom, and a woman who helps care for sheep, I would laugh.
  I like serving in our community and I like my work. 
When the mayor of NYC came out last week saying NYC was better than Kansas because they have a brand, I shook my head. 
Keep your brand, we have sunsets. We have people who work hard to help others.
Every day I drift farther away from my old life and I am ok with it. 
 I saw where there is a $1600 a month apartment that’s the size of a closet. The twin bed is wall to wall with a small night table. No kitchen and a shared bathroom.
  If I have to choose city or rural life, I choose rural every day of the week and twice on Sunday. 
 I like visiting cities - seeing historical landmarks, visiting art museums, eating the food, and seeing friends and family. It’s an opportunity to see many different cultures and explore life beyond our world here. 
 But I choose western Kansas to live. I choose people, kindness, agreeing to disagree with others while preserving relationships. 
  I like space. I like quiet. I like the slower pace. I like livestock. I love our barn and our sheep. 
When you decide where you are going to invest your money, time, resources, I hope you find joy in it. 
Last weekend the town of Syracuse was bustling with homecoming, a cross country meet, a fly-in, and a play day at the rodeo arena. Not to mention all the people who were out of town for HS volleyball and our recreation leagues, weddings, vacations, and livestock shows. When you think of all the volunteers and countless  hours our small town puts in to host events like these, it can be overwhelming. 
So for a moment I want to say thank you. Thank you to anyone who helps, sponsors,  volunteers, coaches, chooses to support, invites a friend, looks out for someone. A small town is only as good as the people in it. We have some great people. And you make a difference. 
  And if you aren’t involved, there is always opportunity to help. 4-H, booster club, sponsoring, volunteering to name a few. When I look at the world today, I think it’s desperate for more coaches, teachers, guidance. I think the way to help is to get involved. So I hope you can find some way to lend a hand. We can always use more workers and more supporters. 
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
 I hope you live well.