STOP!!
If you have not heard Go the Distance, or love the song, I have placed this video here for your enjoyment and learning opportunity. I have included a video with the lyrics in it because that is the main focus of this writing.
I hope you all enjoyed the video, now where was I? Oh yes, for me Go the Distance has always kept special meaning whenever I have heard and played it. It is quite a unique song because I have always saved it for special events. It has been one of the greatest songs to have an impact on my life and it has guided me to many interesting places.
Throughout my life I have always battled with the question of where I truly belonged. Growing up I always did my own thing and I had those that came along for the ride but I never really felt like I was surrounded with the people that were meant to be there. I filled the gap with classmates and activities like playing video games or trading Pokemon cards, but nothing was the right fit.
Jump forward to the 15 year old version of Vinz Karl and what do we have? The same song, different verse. It was a new town and different friends but the same routine. However when I went to SGLC that summer of 2009, that was when I first felt like I had found the place where I could truly belong and call home. This city kid had come into an agricultural event and had been accepted by those around him against all odds. I could finally be myself for once and I never once had a worry about anyone judging me for being who I was meant to be.
So there it was, I had finally heard the voice saying "This is where I'm meant to be". What I had found was my passion. A passion for agriculture, for helping others, for making a difference in the world. It was the beginning of the rest of my life and in the next year was when I truly began to become myself. Over that year I found the song Go the Distance and I didn't slow down to truly listen to the words until the next year at SLCCL in 2010. It was right before I went in to interview for Banquet Committee, a feat I had greatly bombed the year before, so I was nervous as I could be. I put in my headphones and got lost in the music and I remember the song I had on my iPod, Go the Distance. I put it on and something told me to listen.
What I heard was exactly my FFA career, and ultimately my life, unfolding in front of me. From that moment on I promised myself I would find my way, all the way to the end. I would take this passion that was ignited in my heart and my entire being and I would follow it to wherever it lead me, no questions asked. From that day on I began a new life and I have, well hardly, ever looked back. (I mean I can't just stop playing video games, but that's a whole nother story)
So I chose to follow my passion for FFA by giving it my all. Although some people along the way have not been in agreeance with my choice to do so, but ultimately it is my choice. I have given my everything to FFA because ultimately it is the reason I am where I am today and I owe everything to agriculture. It has been my home and my guidance ever since I stumbled upon it. The choice to follow our passions is something that guides each and every one of our lives.
Those who have been lucky enough to find their passions are fortunate because they have something to strive towards and a guidance in their life. Those who have not found their passions yet are on a journey that each one of us have to go through and at times it may seem tough, but it is certainly worth it in the end. It is hard to put a definition for passion into words because it cannot be given such a simple cage to rule over what it is. A passion is more than words, it is a feeling. It is something that you feel inside yourself and you are pulled towards it because it is so strong and it is the purest feeling there is. Passion has been the leading force of the world.
Each one of us has to find our passions and then once we are fortunate enough to have done so, we must follow it to wherever it takes us. The greatest thing that has happened to me is finding my passion and the greatest choice I have made is to follow that passion.
My passion for serving others and changing the world has lead me to such amazing and great places. Ultimately it was founded in the place where I felt at home and heard those words: "This is where I'm meant to be". I have gone the distance and I have jumped over more hurdles than I can count, but it has been truly worth it. It may seem like a challenge at times but you have to remind yourself with the lyrics, "I know every mile, will be worth my while".
Agriculture as a whole has lead me up to this place and it has molded me into the person I am today. It has given me one of the greatest and strongest communities in the world and one that is so huge and accepting. With the world weighing down on my shoulders I came back to campus not looking forward to the classes ahead of me, but when I came back I was surrounded by the greatest of friends. It was like no time had passed since we last saw each other and we had a great time together. We caught up from break and went right back into things. It was not until this morning at 2:00am, while watching Hercules with some truly great friends, that I realized how true the lyrics of Go the Distance have been in my life and how they have been a guidance for me every step of the way throughout my journey.
