As I sit here and listen to the songs you once showed me, I cannot help but let the memories come rushing in. I think of the time you first showed it to me, the emotions it connected with, and now the thoughts it brings back. Each song has a memory that is connected to it and some are easier to listen to than others. But sometimes I find myself listening to a song just to feel that connection once more.
Sometimes I need to be reminded of the past we once shared. Why am I pushed to this point? Because bridges have been burnt; whether it was by you, by me, or by mutual agreement. I wish I could send you a text or tell you about all the little things that remind me of you, but I cannot cross the river over to you anymore. I wish with all my might I could go back and begin that friendship over again. Relive it all and cherish the memories once more, but sadly time does not work like that.
I wish I could go to you now and rebuild that bridge but how do you build a bridge out of broken materials? I wish I could go back and save that bridge from being torn down. I wish I had given it my all instead of giving up on the friendship we had built up. The worst pain is knowing that no matter what I do, I can never guarantee that if I were to go back and try again you would be there to build up the bridge from the other side.
We are bound to go through life and gain and lose friendships, but sometimes I wish it were not so hard. I wish every little thing did not fill me up with memories we once shared, adventures we went on, laughter we exploded in, or tears we shed together. I wish I would be able to move on, but I can still see you from the shore that is left where that mighty bridge once stood. I wish I could go back and forget all the troubles.
This is an open letter of sorts, letting you know that if we have burnt a bridge between us that I have never forgotten about you. I hope that the little things remind you of me just as much as they remind me of you. I can promise you I have never forgotten about you, nor will I ever forget about you. I think of all the things we did together and I wish for those times back. I do not know how I would do it or muster through the pain, but I would just to see you as I once did. I am sick of seeing your name and feeling an emptiness inside. I am sick of averting my eyes or dropping silent every time we cross paths. I am sick of imagining what I would say to you if I had the chance.
There are countless individuals that come to mind when I write this, but I remember each and every single one of you. Honestly, there are too many to admit, because it is embarrassing. I have let the slightest thing get in the way of what we once had. I gave up when you still expected me to fight, and I should have. I let the supports snap on my side of the bridge, which caused a series of events that led to it crumbling.
There are numerous people out there telling you that sometimes you just have to drift away from someone. But I do not know how that is possible when I think of it all this much. I am willing to change it all, I just do not know how to go about it. It just seems like we have traveled miles apart and nothing can bridge that gap anymore. I wish I knew where to go from here. One thing I know is certain, the little things will never cease to remind me of you and bring back the memories that feel so right.
For those of you that come to the same situation, please do not give up. Do not let that bridge fall unless it is your only option. If you are the cause of it, then swallow your pride and do whatever you have to to save that friendship. It will be worth anything greater than what you thought was bigger than your friendship. The worst thing you can do is let it all fall down and regret it every time you look back.
If it is the other person, then work towards common ground. Talk it out with them instead of stopping all conversation or contact. Be the bigger person and listen to the person on the other side. Please do not make my mistakes. I understand that there are some relationships that are not healthy for you. It is up to you to decide what that is. Whatever you do, do not read the relationship wrong and then realize your mistake after you set that bridge on fire.
For those I have hurt, I am sorry. For those bridges I have burnt down, I am sorry. I would do anything to go back and build up that bridge, but I fear you do not see it the same. For those out there that still have a chance, continue to fight. Do not give up unless it is your only option, because you do not want to realize down the road you made the wrong decision. It will eat you up inside. Do what you can with what life hands you, but think about every step before you do something you cannot take back.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
How Will You Be Remembered?
There is a video I would like to share with you that I revisit every so often. It has been an influential piece that I go back to when I truly have something heavy on my head and I need guidance on how to sort out my racing mind. Please watch it and just truly listen to the words and see where it takes your mind.
Now that you have watched it, what did you think? If you're anything like me you're going to need a whole mess of time to sort it all out. But please follow me as I go over what it means to myself and maybe it can offer some help on where you are going.
If you're anything like me you do this constantly. You evaluate and critique what you have done in the past and you play out something in your head that didn't quite go as well as you planned and imagine what you could have done to change things. It seems no matter where I go or what I do I can never let go. I always thought I was a futuristic person but it isn't until your whole plan crumbles that you really reflect on both the past and the future. One knows that both are connected but when you find yourself looking back too often and not knowing where you're headed; that's when you know you're in trouble. This summer I had the opportunity to be in New York working in one of the greatest jobs I could have ever experienced but every time my life slowed down or I had a spec of free time I couldn't help but think about the past. I tried to run away from my life in Minnesota by filling that gap with something else but the problem I keep running into is that the greatest holes left in our heart leave very unique spots that cannot be filled by anything else. So in my case, I may reflect too much and that is where my downfall comes into play.
In two simple sentences he blows all that worry out of the water. When we look back on life there are few things that really matter in the grand scheme of our own lives, and even less when we look at the world as a whole. We have to make moments truly powerful for us to remember them in the future and that is the neat thing about it. There are endless moments in our life that we will never remember three days from now, or three weeks or three years from now, but we act as though everything shapes and changes our entire world. We give the moments the power and we have the ability to control what is important in our lives. I'll be honest this seems like a simple concept to me but there are endless times when I let these insignificant things take over my life. I wish I could just learn to let go but I give them this power over me and they control who I am and how I act. The simplest of moments can be the most powerful and we don't know what will be truly powerful until we get farther down the path. But for now we have to quit living life like any simple thing can throw it off course because in reality we are much stronger than we give ourselves credit for and we can overcome mountains when we need to.
I do this every single day. My greatest anxiety stems from thinking about how I'll be remembered. I like to think I've done some great things in my time but in all reality I haven't done much. I have given my heart into my life and given everything I have towards achieving the greatest of my dreams only to come away with a broken mind and a broken facade. There were times after that that I wanted to be strong and still go and change the world but when you feel like have given something literally every fiber of your body, how are you supposed to achieve anything else? Everything that comes towards you you will never be fully prepared for or have enough to offer because it will never be enough. In reality who is going to ever remember the man who almost followed his dreams? I hope that what I'm doing has some greater meaning but in the grand spectrum of things I may never know the impact that I have had and whether or not that is a positive or a negative impact.
This line probably scares me the most for it has such power and significance. I hope that my song has a nice mellow saxophone solo in the background with some dubstep thrown in there...no, but I hope that I leave something behind. I think we all hope that our lives will be worth something and we will make even the slightest impact on the lives of those around us. I felt like I was truly making a difference with my time within the National FFA Organization but at the end of the day what is left of that? Anyone I didn't disappoint when I wasn't chosen to serve as a State Officer certainly doesn't like the way I reacted. I know that. I can't hide that though. I'm not going to go around pretending like it doesn't hurt. I believe doing that would do less justice than facing reality. I hope my story turns out to be something but honestly at this point, I'm not too excited with how it's going. I want to change it, to redirect my path, however the problem I have is that I have no idea where I'm going. I had it all set out before me and I knew every single step I was going to take, until it all got thrown into the trash. I had to scrap everything I had and start over and now I don't know where that new beginning is supposed to be. I've been trying to do everything I can to fill that void but like I said before, once you have a hole in your heart it's hard to fill it with anything but what left that imprint. There are honestly times where I worry about if I'll be remembered at all but it comes with justified thoughts. I have been forgotten already. However I think it's a natural part of moving through life. As we fade in and out of things we are going to become forgotten to those who we looked up to so much or we were so close to before. Is there any going back to the way things once were? I don't know, I have no control over what goes on with others. I just hope that someone still remembers the things I have done and the way I once made them feel.
I once was more compassionate than I am today and I understand that. I often wonder what it was that motivated me to make the change, but I'll get back to that in a second. I truly would give the world to most people I meet, which I fully understand is a tough thing at times. In FFA that greater connection came so simply and it was almost a given. I have found no other place in life where you can be that open with someone and care about someone that much. This summer I had the opportunity to meet and educate over 3,000 kids and 400 staff. I wish I could say that I made a deep connection with at least 5 of those people. I wish I could have had the opportunity to get to know someone's passions, desires, loves, and their motivations, but I didn't. I miss the connection that was made and the investment that was given when you truly got to know someone. To feel like you've known each other your entire lives when in reality you may have only met at one or two events. I miss being able to inspire others and in turn be inspired by them. That is the powerful aspect that I took for granted and I wish I could find somewhere else. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong spot or maybe it never even was there in the first place. I think compassion is something we often times forget about when it comes to living our lives and we keep moving forward only thinking about ourselves and how our actions will help us, when we should be thinking of others and what we can do for them. When we can break down that barrier and truly live a life for others is when we can move forward as a whole.
Unfortunately I've had experience on both ends of this spectrum, but none really in the middle. It wasn't until I joined FFA and experienced TEC when I found the joy and the passion for serving others. I was able to truly make someone's life better by helping them out and being a better version of myself. I took this too far though and I invested myself too heavily into others. Always thinking about what I could do for them and how I could improve their lives, but in the end I forgot to look at myself. I kept getting used and taken for granted and let me tell you that is tough. It wasn't until I was able to take a step back that I realized what was going on. However at that point in time another great turning point happened in my life and I jumped over to the other side. I felt so bad for myself and I was so ashamed that I retreated from the life around me. I lost friendships and I lost out on great experiences within my life that I can never get back. The only thing I can do from here is to try and find that balance and incorporate it within my life. I still have plenty of time left, hopefully I can do it right the third or fourth time around.
This is one of the greatest things we need to find while we go forward through life. Who will be worth having next to you? Who could you fight side by side with, into the lower gates of hell, and enjoy every step along the way? I'll be honest, last May I did a horrible job of keeping my friendships alive. I retreated from the entire world not wanting to see that look of disappointment on anyone's face, but how much of a fool was I? Of course there will be people that will never look at me the same after not getting State Office, but those are not the people worthy of it all. I am so thankful for those friends that have been there for me, even if I may not have been up for it all the time. I was able to keep moving forward because I knew that I have these phenomenal friends around me supporting me every step of the way. True friendships are about being able to sacrifice something of yours, whether it be time, pleasures, or comforts, to help that friend out. When you can have that level of sacrifice on both ends is when you know you have found a true friend and even family. I have taken many of my friendships for granted but I am thankful for a new semester and new opportunities to show those around me how much I truly appreciate them.
Isn't that what any of us wants? We want our lives to matter and we want to leave a legacy on the lives of those who come after us. How easy is it for our story to just fade away once we are gone? This is one of my biggest worries but I went about things all the wrong way this summer. I retreated from everything but that is exactly what is going to get me into this situation. If we don't readily work past every upset we come up against, we will ultimately be left behind in the dust. It is true in a sense, history forgets those who lost. But it only happens when they let that lose be the last thing known about them. It sounds so cheesy, but like I've said before, I've found out that if it's said enough to become a cliche, it's most likely true; you cannot let yourself be dragged down by a loss, no matter how great, because once you stop moving forward at that point, you will be forgotten. You need to continue on past it all and truly do something spectacular, because we've all failed once or twice, some of us just face failure far more often than others. Sure it may not be fair, but it's reality and it's what we have to face. Now like I said before, I am not the model to follow when it comes to handling failure, but I hope that somehow I can make up for the time I have lost.
I hope to achieve all of these aspects by the time my time is up and I believe that if I have changed one person's life, than I have truly made it. I hope my life will be worth something. However, if it's going to be anything like the past three months have been, then I have failed. I know how I reacted to not serving as a State Officer was shameful, but in reality that is what I felt. I didn't want to hide who I was because I felt as though that was me putting on a facade to fool others into thinking everything was alright when in reality I was crumbling on the inside. I am nowhere near where I once was and I probably never will be, but I want to have a conscious focus on getting back there. I still want to change the world and inspire others, maybe it's just supposed to be through another medium. I have no idea where I'm going and I truly am taking this day-by-day, but hopefully sometime soon I will find something else that I am as passionate about that I was, and maybe still am, about FFA. I know somewhere out there is something waiting for me, it's all about what I do until I find that thing.
For now I ask that you forgive me for my actions in the past, you bear with me while I try and sort everything out, and you hopefully encourage me as I move forward past it all. I have reflected both on how I would be remembered at this point in time and how I hope to one day be remembered once my journey is done. Now, how will you be remembered?
Now that you have watched it, what did you think? If you're anything like me you're going to need a whole mess of time to sort it all out. But please follow me as I go over what it means to myself and maybe it can offer some help on where you are going.
"How often do you look back? Really reflect on what you've done."
If you're anything like me you do this constantly. You evaluate and critique what you have done in the past and you play out something in your head that didn't quite go as well as you planned and imagine what you could have done to change things. It seems no matter where I go or what I do I can never let go. I always thought I was a futuristic person but it isn't until your whole plan crumbles that you really reflect on both the past and the future. One knows that both are connected but when you find yourself looking back too often and not knowing where you're headed; that's when you know you're in trouble. This summer I had the opportunity to be in New York working in one of the greatest jobs I could have ever experienced but every time my life slowed down or I had a spec of free time I couldn't help but think about the past. I tried to run away from my life in Minnesota by filling that gap with something else but the problem I keep running into is that the greatest holes left in our heart leave very unique spots that cannot be filled by anything else. So in my case, I may reflect too much and that is where my downfall comes into play.
"The insignificance of it all. Pointless arguments, inside jokes, funny haircuts."
In two simple sentences he blows all that worry out of the water. When we look back on life there are few things that really matter in the grand scheme of our own lives, and even less when we look at the world as a whole. We have to make moments truly powerful for us to remember them in the future and that is the neat thing about it. There are endless moments in our life that we will never remember three days from now, or three weeks or three years from now, but we act as though everything shapes and changes our entire world. We give the moments the power and we have the ability to control what is important in our lives. I'll be honest this seems like a simple concept to me but there are endless times when I let these insignificant things take over my life. I wish I could just learn to let go but I give them this power over me and they control who I am and how I act. The simplest of moments can be the most powerful and we don't know what will be truly powerful until we get farther down the path. But for now we have to quit living life like any simple thing can throw it off course because in reality we are much stronger than we give ourselves credit for and we can overcome mountains when we need to.
"But do you ever wonder how you'll be remembered? Or if what you've done and what you're doing means anything at all?"
I do this every single day. My greatest anxiety stems from thinking about how I'll be remembered. I like to think I've done some great things in my time but in all reality I haven't done much. I have given my heart into my life and given everything I have towards achieving the greatest of my dreams only to come away with a broken mind and a broken facade. There were times after that that I wanted to be strong and still go and change the world but when you feel like have given something literally every fiber of your body, how are you supposed to achieve anything else? Everything that comes towards you you will never be fully prepared for or have enough to offer because it will never be enough. In reality who is going to ever remember the man who almost followed his dreams? I hope that what I'm doing has some greater meaning but in the grand spectrum of things I may never know the impact that I have had and whether or not that is a positive or a negative impact.
"What will your song sound like when you're dead and gone? Will tears fall when the last note is sung? And how will your story be told? Will your words leave a bitter taste in their mouths, or will the even remember you at all?"
This line probably scares me the most for it has such power and significance. I hope that my song has a nice mellow saxophone solo in the background with some dubstep thrown in there...no, but I hope that I leave something behind. I think we all hope that our lives will be worth something and we will make even the slightest impact on the lives of those around us. I felt like I was truly making a difference with my time within the National FFA Organization but at the end of the day what is left of that? Anyone I didn't disappoint when I wasn't chosen to serve as a State Officer certainly doesn't like the way I reacted. I know that. I can't hide that though. I'm not going to go around pretending like it doesn't hurt. I believe doing that would do less justice than facing reality. I hope my story turns out to be something but honestly at this point, I'm not too excited with how it's going. I want to change it, to redirect my path, however the problem I have is that I have no idea where I'm going. I had it all set out before me and I knew every single step I was going to take, until it all got thrown into the trash. I had to scrap everything I had and start over and now I don't know where that new beginning is supposed to be. I've been trying to do everything I can to fill that void but like I said before, once you have a hole in your heart it's hard to fill it with anything but what left that imprint. There are honestly times where I worry about if I'll be remembered at all but it comes with justified thoughts. I have been forgotten already. However I think it's a natural part of moving through life. As we fade in and out of things we are going to become forgotten to those who we looked up to so much or we were so close to before. Is there any going back to the way things once were? I don't know, I have no control over what goes on with others. I just hope that someone still remembers the things I have done and the way I once made them feel.
"Compassion. The concept is rather simple. Most know what it means to be civil, but there is truly a fine line between sweet and sour."
I once was more compassionate than I am today and I understand that. I often wonder what it was that motivated me to make the change, but I'll get back to that in a second. I truly would give the world to most people I meet, which I fully understand is a tough thing at times. In FFA that greater connection came so simply and it was almost a given. I have found no other place in life where you can be that open with someone and care about someone that much. This summer I had the opportunity to meet and educate over 3,000 kids and 400 staff. I wish I could say that I made a deep connection with at least 5 of those people. I wish I could have had the opportunity to get to know someone's passions, desires, loves, and their motivations, but I didn't. I miss the connection that was made and the investment that was given when you truly got to know someone. To feel like you've known each other your entire lives when in reality you may have only met at one or two events. I miss being able to inspire others and in turn be inspired by them. That is the powerful aspect that I took for granted and I wish I could find somewhere else. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong spot or maybe it never even was there in the first place. I think compassion is something we often times forget about when it comes to living our lives and we keep moving forward only thinking about ourselves and how our actions will help us, when we should be thinking of others and what we can do for them. When we can break down that barrier and truly live a life for others is when we can move forward as a whole.
"Give too much of yourself away and you'll be all used up, not enough and no one will be around to share this with."
Unfortunately I've had experience on both ends of this spectrum, but none really in the middle. It wasn't until I joined FFA and experienced TEC when I found the joy and the passion for serving others. I was able to truly make someone's life better by helping them out and being a better version of myself. I took this too far though and I invested myself too heavily into others. Always thinking about what I could do for them and how I could improve their lives, but in the end I forgot to look at myself. I kept getting used and taken for granted and let me tell you that is tough. It wasn't until I was able to take a step back that I realized what was going on. However at that point in time another great turning point happened in my life and I jumped over to the other side. I felt so bad for myself and I was so ashamed that I retreated from the life around me. I lost friendships and I lost out on great experiences within my life that I can never get back. The only thing I can do from here is to try and find that balance and incorporate it within my life. I still have plenty of time left, hopefully I can do it right the third or fourth time around.
"So what is it that motivates us to be better, gentler, more refined? I'd like to think it's those close to us, close to the heart and soul. Those who carried you to the car after you puked on their shoes. Those who took the blame for breaking the window when it was you who cast the stone. Those who will be by your side when reality knocks on your door, both good and bad."
This is one of the greatest things we need to find while we go forward through life. Who will be worth having next to you? Who could you fight side by side with, into the lower gates of hell, and enjoy every step along the way? I'll be honest, last May I did a horrible job of keeping my friendships alive. I retreated from the entire world not wanting to see that look of disappointment on anyone's face, but how much of a fool was I? Of course there will be people that will never look at me the same after not getting State Office, but those are not the people worthy of it all. I am so thankful for those friends that have been there for me, even if I may not have been up for it all the time. I was able to keep moving forward because I knew that I have these phenomenal friends around me supporting me every step of the way. True friendships are about being able to sacrifice something of yours, whether it be time, pleasures, or comforts, to help that friend out. When you can have that level of sacrifice on both ends is when you know you have found a true friend and even family. I have taken many of my friendships for granted but I am thankful for a new semester and new opportunities to show those around me how much I truly appreciate them.
"But more importantly, those whose stories you will share with your kids, and grandkids, and their kids, and their grandkids, in hopes to somehow keep this all alive."
Isn't that what any of us wants? We want our lives to matter and we want to leave a legacy on the lives of those who come after us. How easy is it for our story to just fade away once we are gone? This is one of my biggest worries but I went about things all the wrong way this summer. I retreated from everything but that is exactly what is going to get me into this situation. If we don't readily work past every upset we come up against, we will ultimately be left behind in the dust. It is true in a sense, history forgets those who lost. But it only happens when they let that lose be the last thing known about them. It sounds so cheesy, but like I've said before, I've found out that if it's said enough to become a cliche, it's most likely true; you cannot let yourself be dragged down by a loss, no matter how great, because once you stop moving forward at that point, you will be forgotten. You need to continue on past it all and truly do something spectacular, because we've all failed once or twice, some of us just face failure far more often than others. Sure it may not be fair, but it's reality and it's what we have to face. Now like I said before, I am not the model to follow when it comes to handling failure, but I hope that somehow I can make up for the time I have lost.
"Chivalry, decency, kindness, compassion, desire, strength. How will you be remembered?"
I hope to achieve all of these aspects by the time my time is up and I believe that if I have changed one person's life, than I have truly made it. I hope my life will be worth something. However, if it's going to be anything like the past three months have been, then I have failed. I know how I reacted to not serving as a State Officer was shameful, but in reality that is what I felt. I didn't want to hide who I was because I felt as though that was me putting on a facade to fool others into thinking everything was alright when in reality I was crumbling on the inside. I am nowhere near where I once was and I probably never will be, but I want to have a conscious focus on getting back there. I still want to change the world and inspire others, maybe it's just supposed to be through another medium. I have no idea where I'm going and I truly am taking this day-by-day, but hopefully sometime soon I will find something else that I am as passionate about that I was, and maybe still am, about FFA. I know somewhere out there is something waiting for me, it's all about what I do until I find that thing.
For now I ask that you forgive me for my actions in the past, you bear with me while I try and sort everything out, and you hopefully encourage me as I move forward past it all. I have reflected both on how I would be remembered at this point in time and how I hope to one day be remembered once my journey is done. Now, how will you be remembered?
Monday, January 21, 2013
Go the Distance
Hopefully when you see the title it brings something important to mind. For those of you that know your Disney as well as you should, you know Go the Distance is a song from the movie Hercules.
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.
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.
Monday, June 4, 2012
It Only Takes One Spark
To make the fire burn... What a simple concept that has always been around
me, but I've never truly grasped until now. This is the reason I am here today,
because someone took the time to spark the passion inside of me and what came
out was a roaring fire readying to go; ready to go be that spark, that
difference, in someone else's life. That is what keeps me going, knowing that I
can make a difference as one single person, and use my talents and my gifts to
make a world of difference to the people that I meet on my journey through
life. The possibilities are endless of what one man or woman can do; look at
Martin Luther King Jr. or John F. Kennedy, two amazing individuals who truly
have lead our country to make a world of difference. If they can do that, then
what is stopping me?
That is my passion: I want to be that spark for those that I meet. I want to leave my legacy through the lives of others. I want to use the gifts that God has given me to do everything I can to change the lives of others. I realized this passion, and what I could do with it, at the Washington Leadership Conference. Going back and looking at what the National FFA says about WLC "During the five-day event, attendees learn how to become effective leaders by teaching them to know their purpose, value people, take action, and serve others."
I can truly say all of those things can sum up WLC to the point. I found my purpose of serving others through WLC and I saw what needed to be done and how I could be that difference. My eyes were open to not only the members from different states that attended WLC, but also those that are all around us within the United States and across the globe that need our help each and every day. There are things that we take for granted each day, like shoes for example, that are a necessity for others around the world, and they may never experience what it is like to wear a pair of shoes. I learned to take action, and through my Living To Serve Plan I developed a plan on how I can take that action within my community and get others involved within the TOMS movement.
And most importantly, I saw the need that we all have to serve others. Without the help from others, we would all be lost, and I would not be where I am today. Our society depends on us all helping each other out when we need the help. I would have never found my niche within FFA if others were not there to help me and now that I have been given this opportunity it is my duty and my calling to use it to serve others. WLC has truly changed my life and I would not have a passion and a calling in life if I had not attended that life changing event. That is why I want to be a WLC facilitator, so I can give future members that same opportunity that I was allowed to experience, and make a difference in their lives, and through them, the lives of many more. I want to give back to this amazing organization that has already given me so much.
If anyone knows me, they know how much my shoes mean to me. It's such a remedial thing, but my TOMS are what keep me going every day with the mentality of making a difference. I am one lonely kid from a small town, but here I wear these shoes as a symbol of a child I have helped half way across the world experience a necessity. This is what I am able to do at this point with my service.
My most dreaded comment, but secretly also my most favorite, is "I like your slippers". This always gets me going, especially when my Ag teacher says it every week to ride my case. I love this comment because it gives me that opening to explain what my shoes are all about and what the TOMS movement works towards. That is what my LTS Plan is all about, getting the word out and through that, impacting others to make the purchase and donate a pair of shoes. This is what I am able to do all the way out here in the country as an 18 year old, and I couldn't be any prouder. I love what my shoes stand for, and I feel that pride every time I put them on.
Hopefully someday down the road I can follow that passion and that pride and work for TOMS and my ultimate goal would be to go on a TOMS giving trip and see that progress happening in front of my eyes. Seeing all of that hard work and everyone who purchases a pair of TOMS coming together to make a world of difference in the lives of those children. That is what keeps me going and why I truly love my shoes.
Today was the day I graduated high school and it was the closing of one chapter in my life and the beginning of a new one. You'd expect me to be scared out of my mind for the possibilities coming ahead for me, but I'm actually doing quite well. This is because I know that no matter what happens in the future, I will be following my passion and doing what I love and get joy out of. That is why I want to be an Agricultural Education teacher, because I would say that ag teachers are the ones that get closest to their students. My life has been infinitely changed by my ag teachers and they continue to support me and invest in me. The things that they have done to help me get where I am today are too long to say, but I will never forget each and every one of them.
That is what I get to look forward to each and every day of my life. I get to be that change for future agricultural education students and FFA members. I get to give back to the community and the organization that has truly changed my life. My heart lies within agriculture and impacting others, and that is where I get to spend the rest of my life! Honestly, how cool is that? I can't wait to see what kind of difference I can do through my teaching in the lives of students and how that will affect them and their lives. There are few people that can say that they get the chance to make a difference in the world and mold the future, but ag teachers are a core part of that group.
So no matter where life takes me, I know I'll be there because I want to make a difference in the lives of others. I will always be following my passion, so I just have to wait and see where it brings me. I may not work with TOMS, I may join the Peace Corps or work with the local food bank; all I do know is that I have one amazing life ahead of me and as long as I follow that passion, I can do anything.
This is the end of my high school career, but I promise you it will not be the end of my passion or my goals. It will merely be a stepping stone for the things that I hope to achieve within my life and the places I want to go. There is a rare opportunity before me to live a life that I can truly be proud of and enjoy every second of it, so what kind of fool would I be to let that go? I can promise you world that the Vinz Karl you first met, is one you will be greatly surprised by when you see where he will end up.
That is my passion: I want to be that spark for those that I meet. I want to leave my legacy through the lives of others. I want to use the gifts that God has given me to do everything I can to change the lives of others. I realized this passion, and what I could do with it, at the Washington Leadership Conference. Going back and looking at what the National FFA says about WLC "During the five-day event, attendees learn how to become effective leaders by teaching them to know their purpose, value people, take action, and serve others."
I can truly say all of those things can sum up WLC to the point. I found my purpose of serving others through WLC and I saw what needed to be done and how I could be that difference. My eyes were open to not only the members from different states that attended WLC, but also those that are all around us within the United States and across the globe that need our help each and every day. There are things that we take for granted each day, like shoes for example, that are a necessity for others around the world, and they may never experience what it is like to wear a pair of shoes. I learned to take action, and through my Living To Serve Plan I developed a plan on how I can take that action within my community and get others involved within the TOMS movement.
And most importantly, I saw the need that we all have to serve others. Without the help from others, we would all be lost, and I would not be where I am today. Our society depends on us all helping each other out when we need the help. I would have never found my niche within FFA if others were not there to help me and now that I have been given this opportunity it is my duty and my calling to use it to serve others. WLC has truly changed my life and I would not have a passion and a calling in life if I had not attended that life changing event. That is why I want to be a WLC facilitator, so I can give future members that same opportunity that I was allowed to experience, and make a difference in their lives, and through them, the lives of many more. I want to give back to this amazing organization that has already given me so much.
If anyone knows me, they know how much my shoes mean to me. It's such a remedial thing, but my TOMS are what keep me going every day with the mentality of making a difference. I am one lonely kid from a small town, but here I wear these shoes as a symbol of a child I have helped half way across the world experience a necessity. This is what I am able to do at this point with my service.
My most dreaded comment, but secretly also my most favorite, is "I like your slippers". This always gets me going, especially when my Ag teacher says it every week to ride my case. I love this comment because it gives me that opening to explain what my shoes are all about and what the TOMS movement works towards. That is what my LTS Plan is all about, getting the word out and through that, impacting others to make the purchase and donate a pair of shoes. This is what I am able to do all the way out here in the country as an 18 year old, and I couldn't be any prouder. I love what my shoes stand for, and I feel that pride every time I put them on.
Hopefully someday down the road I can follow that passion and that pride and work for TOMS and my ultimate goal would be to go on a TOMS giving trip and see that progress happening in front of my eyes. Seeing all of that hard work and everyone who purchases a pair of TOMS coming together to make a world of difference in the lives of those children. That is what keeps me going and why I truly love my shoes.
Today was the day I graduated high school and it was the closing of one chapter in my life and the beginning of a new one. You'd expect me to be scared out of my mind for the possibilities coming ahead for me, but I'm actually doing quite well. This is because I know that no matter what happens in the future, I will be following my passion and doing what I love and get joy out of. That is why I want to be an Agricultural Education teacher, because I would say that ag teachers are the ones that get closest to their students. My life has been infinitely changed by my ag teachers and they continue to support me and invest in me. The things that they have done to help me get where I am today are too long to say, but I will never forget each and every one of them.
That is what I get to look forward to each and every day of my life. I get to be that change for future agricultural education students and FFA members. I get to give back to the community and the organization that has truly changed my life. My heart lies within agriculture and impacting others, and that is where I get to spend the rest of my life! Honestly, how cool is that? I can't wait to see what kind of difference I can do through my teaching in the lives of students and how that will affect them and their lives. There are few people that can say that they get the chance to make a difference in the world and mold the future, but ag teachers are a core part of that group.
So no matter where life takes me, I know I'll be there because I want to make a difference in the lives of others. I will always be following my passion, so I just have to wait and see where it brings me. I may not work with TOMS, I may join the Peace Corps or work with the local food bank; all I do know is that I have one amazing life ahead of me and as long as I follow that passion, I can do anything.
This is the end of my high school career, but I promise you it will not be the end of my passion or my goals. It will merely be a stepping stone for the things that I hope to achieve within my life and the places I want to go. There is a rare opportunity before me to live a life that I can truly be proud of and enjoy every second of it, so what kind of fool would I be to let that go? I can promise you world that the Vinz Karl you first met, is one you will be greatly surprised by when you see where he will end up.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
How Does This Harm You?
*What is said in this post is not meant to offend anyone, to say that anyone is "wrong" or to put anyone down. This is just what I view and I believe in. Sure we are all going to have different opinions and mine will certainly differ from yours, I just want to give my insight to what I believe to be true and what I believe in. I cannot speak from firsthand experience whether it be what it is like to love another man or what God truly believes or wants us to fight for, merely my interpretation from what I have experienced.*
Well I've been meaning to write in here soon, but I definitely didn't have this in mind, but something I read on Facebook compelled me to do otherwise. I recently read someone's status about Obama and his poor decision to support gay marriage and this kind of ignorance flat out frustrates me. This is what is ruining our society; it's ignorant people. People think they're so much better than someone else because they do or don't do something. WHO CARES? Who cares if one man loves another man or a woman loves another woman? NO ONE. It doesn't affect how you live your life or how the world turns. This is something coming from a kid, that's right I was a kid, who used to be all opposed when it came to gay marriage, but then you know what? I grew up. I became a man, and realized what I was talking, or rather not talking about. I realized how foolish it was to base someone on such an insignificant factor and try to prove my betterness than someone else. If that is what makes one of my friends, relatives, acquaintances, or even one of my idols happy, then by God I will let them do it.
The biggest issue with this ignorance towards gay marriage is what makes you better than someone who is gay? You're both human beings and you both live life the same way. Who are you to tell someone they can't love someone? We all know that feeling we get when we fall in love with someone and we will do anything for that person. What difference does that make if it's feelings for a man or a woman? It's still the same love either way, who are we to tell someone they can't feel that way towards someone of the same sex? We all think we are right, we are so high and mighty, what we feel has to be the right thing; well look at it from the other person's point of view. That is what they believe and what their heart is telling them, are you going to tell me that what you feel and what they feel have to be wrong, that one person's heart is telling them lies? No. That is just childish to think such a thing. What makes someone happy is definitely not what makes someone else happy, but the only factor that matters is the individual and their feelings.
Something I saw that I quite agree with is that gay marriage is the segregation of our time. We were wrong with segregation and many of us are wrong here. Who are we to tell someone they're loving the wrong person, the same person we weren't for telling an African American man he cannot drink at the same drinking fountain as a white person. Man was not made to rule over another man, what kind of dictator do you think you are to do so?
Another thing that frustrates me is everyone piggybacking on the bible to defend their "righteous cause". Well my sister makes a good point when she points out that slavery is okay in the bible and if a man rapes a virgin then she must marry him, do we go by these laws today? No, absolutely not, so why do you see the need and the ability to pick and choose what you go by in the bible. By no means am I bashing the bible or taking hits at God, quite the contrary. If my God is one that picks and chooses what people he loves, than he is not the God for me. However, I know this to not be the case. The God I believe in loves everyone equally and would never condone such behavior. God would not make homosexuals just so he can "punish them" and deny them from following what they believe in and love. I don't know which God is telling you that gay marriage should not be allowed, but he is certainly not mine.
So many people use religion to defend their case, but they do not recognize what religion is. So many different religions exist because we all interpret the Word of God differently. I am a Roman Catholic however I definitely do not agree with what they believe in. For instance a man cannot act on his affections for another man or a woman onto a woman. Also "we" believe that a priest cannot marry or have children. I could go on for days with why I view religion to be wrong, but it all comes down to the point that every single human being interprets The Word differently. What is so wrong with just believing in God and ending it at that. The main need for religion to me is to have other followers of God to congregate with, but why do we have to put a label and set rules and interpretations on everything? My greatest religious experience has been through TEC because you only need one thing to belong in TEC, a faith that God is our one and true almighty savior. That is it. What is wrong with that? Why do we have to be told what to believe in and not to believe in when it comes to God?
Who are we to tell someone they're wrong? Who are we to tell someone they cannot love another when they so greatly feel it in their heart? We are not Gods, we are but measly humans. If gay marriage is allowed in the United States what will happen? Will locust fill our fields, will hurricans ravage our lands, will earthquakes tear appart the ground below us? No; men will be allowed to marry the man they love and women will be allowed to marry the woman they love, it's a simple as that. The world will keep turning and your life will continue to move on like it has for the past however many years. Get off your high horse, quit being ignorant, grow up, open your mind, get over yourself, and accept everyone for who they are: human.
Well I've been meaning to write in here soon, but I definitely didn't have this in mind, but something I read on Facebook compelled me to do otherwise. I recently read someone's status about Obama and his poor decision to support gay marriage and this kind of ignorance flat out frustrates me. This is what is ruining our society; it's ignorant people. People think they're so much better than someone else because they do or don't do something. WHO CARES? Who cares if one man loves another man or a woman loves another woman? NO ONE. It doesn't affect how you live your life or how the world turns. This is something coming from a kid, that's right I was a kid, who used to be all opposed when it came to gay marriage, but then you know what? I grew up. I became a man, and realized what I was talking, or rather not talking about. I realized how foolish it was to base someone on such an insignificant factor and try to prove my betterness than someone else. If that is what makes one of my friends, relatives, acquaintances, or even one of my idols happy, then by God I will let them do it.
The biggest issue with this ignorance towards gay marriage is what makes you better than someone who is gay? You're both human beings and you both live life the same way. Who are you to tell someone they can't love someone? We all know that feeling we get when we fall in love with someone and we will do anything for that person. What difference does that make if it's feelings for a man or a woman? It's still the same love either way, who are we to tell someone they can't feel that way towards someone of the same sex? We all think we are right, we are so high and mighty, what we feel has to be the right thing; well look at it from the other person's point of view. That is what they believe and what their heart is telling them, are you going to tell me that what you feel and what they feel have to be wrong, that one person's heart is telling them lies? No. That is just childish to think such a thing. What makes someone happy is definitely not what makes someone else happy, but the only factor that matters is the individual and their feelings.
Something I saw that I quite agree with is that gay marriage is the segregation of our time. We were wrong with segregation and many of us are wrong here. Who are we to tell someone they're loving the wrong person, the same person we weren't for telling an African American man he cannot drink at the same drinking fountain as a white person. Man was not made to rule over another man, what kind of dictator do you think you are to do so?
Another thing that frustrates me is everyone piggybacking on the bible to defend their "righteous cause". Well my sister makes a good point when she points out that slavery is okay in the bible and if a man rapes a virgin then she must marry him, do we go by these laws today? No, absolutely not, so why do you see the need and the ability to pick and choose what you go by in the bible. By no means am I bashing the bible or taking hits at God, quite the contrary. If my God is one that picks and chooses what people he loves, than he is not the God for me. However, I know this to not be the case. The God I believe in loves everyone equally and would never condone such behavior. God would not make homosexuals just so he can "punish them" and deny them from following what they believe in and love. I don't know which God is telling you that gay marriage should not be allowed, but he is certainly not mine.
So many people use religion to defend their case, but they do not recognize what religion is. So many different religions exist because we all interpret the Word of God differently. I am a Roman Catholic however I definitely do not agree with what they believe in. For instance a man cannot act on his affections for another man or a woman onto a woman. Also "we" believe that a priest cannot marry or have children. I could go on for days with why I view religion to be wrong, but it all comes down to the point that every single human being interprets The Word differently. What is so wrong with just believing in God and ending it at that. The main need for religion to me is to have other followers of God to congregate with, but why do we have to put a label and set rules and interpretations on everything? My greatest religious experience has been through TEC because you only need one thing to belong in TEC, a faith that God is our one and true almighty savior. That is it. What is wrong with that? Why do we have to be told what to believe in and not to believe in when it comes to God?
Who are we to tell someone they're wrong? Who are we to tell someone they cannot love another when they so greatly feel it in their heart? We are not Gods, we are but measly humans. If gay marriage is allowed in the United States what will happen? Will locust fill our fields, will hurricans ravage our lands, will earthquakes tear appart the ground below us? No; men will be allowed to marry the man they love and women will be allowed to marry the woman they love, it's a simple as that. The world will keep turning and your life will continue to move on like it has for the past however many years. Get off your high horse, quit being ignorant, grow up, open your mind, get over yourself, and accept everyone for who they are: human.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
I Just Can't Wait to Be King
I'm sure everyone knows this song from The Lion King and quite like the tune, but as I listened to it on Monday as I watched The Lion King to help me relax I truly realized how much this phrase truly relates to my life. This song, this sentence is revolutionary, it teaches us a very import life lesson: No matter what we go through life the thing waiting for us at the end, our "Kingship" will be well worth it.
I just can't wait to be king. What this means to me is: I can't wait to truly make it, I can't wait to show everyone that no matter what they think about me or my potential I can blow it out of the water. I can't wait for that one day, the day I will finally make it to that mountain top and show everyone what I have become. No matter what stands in my way, no matter what obstacles are in my way, they won't keep me down. Sometimes I wonder if anyone ever thought I would turn out like this, if my ag teachers knew what would happen when I walked into that ag room, when those RPs and SOs saw me at SGLC, when I first met the State Staff of the Minnesota FFA, when my friends saw me move to Arlington and when those kids first laid eyes on me at Sibley East.
To anyone out there that doesn't think they can do something I ask you why not? Who gave you that idea that you can't succeed at something? What kind of sick person would put that thought into your head? I'll tell you this: You can do anything that you put your mind to. Such a simple phrase we hear growing up, but the truth is you really can. What do you think any of the revolutionists, or the evolutionists as I learned at the EMP museum today, were told when they grew up. What did Neil Armstrong's parents tell him when he first told them he was going to be the first man to walk on the moon? No matter what anyone tells you, you truly can do whatever it is you want as long as you give it your all.
Take a look at me: I'm a senior who was slated as the 2012-2013 Region President of Minnesota FFA's VII Region. Me: Vinzenz John Karl, the kid that grew up in the middle of Richfield and went to a private Catholic school until the 4th grade when his family picked up and moved to little Arlington. The kid that had no idea what agriculture was beyond the dinner table. The kid that got an ISS in 6th grade and two detentions and more anger problems than he'd ever like to remember in 7th. The kid who felt like the single most outcast at his first ever FFA event outside of his chapter. The kid who up until a month ago thought he was going to be a doctor. Now where am I now?
I know I'm no king yet, but I'm on my way and nothing will stop me. I am currently on my way to serving Region VII as their 2012-2013 Region President. I'm enrolled at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to have the best and most educational 4 years of my life to become an Agricultural Education teacher. I take it day by day; learning things most kids learned when they saw their dad do them on the farm. I will give everything I have to continue to grow in my agricultural knowledge because I know I still have a long way to go, I will be the very first and definitely not the last to admit that. I have faced so many setbacks throughout my life I don't know where to start, but I do know where it's going to end. It's all going to lead to me chasing my dreams, no matter what they are or what they turn out to be. Wherever you may see me you might think I may not belong, I may not know as much as you or I may not have the most experience, especially in agriculture, but I do have one very important factor that you most likely don't: My Passion.
This is the thing that separates myself from the rest of the world around me. My passion is the fire within my soul that will carry me farther than I would have every imagined. I truly can't wait to be king. I can't wait for that day when everything I've work towards falls into place and I have truly made it. I can't wait for everyone's reactions when they have seen where I have come from and where I end up. No matter what anyone has ever thought about me or when and where they thought I'd fail, I'll show them that it doesn't matter what they think. Because once I make it nothing else matters. Once I become king all of my struggles will have been worth it.
Never in my life would I imagine I would be honored with such a title as Region President. If you told me I would get the privilege of working at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center this past summer I would have called you insane. As a kid all I knew was the city life and never once did it ever cross my mind that I would have gotten the chance to do many of the things FFA has brought to me, but that's the funny thing about passion. Passion pushes you to do things you never thought imaginable or in your future until you understand what that passion is. Passion is what makes people do some pretty revolutionary things.
So I challenge every single one of you reading this: find your passion and follow it wherever it may bring you. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something because quite frankly their wrong. Keep pressing on and move forward towards that goal, because once you become King it will all be worth it.
I just can't wait to be king. What this means to me is: I can't wait to truly make it, I can't wait to show everyone that no matter what they think about me or my potential I can blow it out of the water. I can't wait for that one day, the day I will finally make it to that mountain top and show everyone what I have become. No matter what stands in my way, no matter what obstacles are in my way, they won't keep me down. Sometimes I wonder if anyone ever thought I would turn out like this, if my ag teachers knew what would happen when I walked into that ag room, when those RPs and SOs saw me at SGLC, when I first met the State Staff of the Minnesota FFA, when my friends saw me move to Arlington and when those kids first laid eyes on me at Sibley East.
To anyone out there that doesn't think they can do something I ask you why not? Who gave you that idea that you can't succeed at something? What kind of sick person would put that thought into your head? I'll tell you this: You can do anything that you put your mind to. Such a simple phrase we hear growing up, but the truth is you really can. What do you think any of the revolutionists, or the evolutionists as I learned at the EMP museum today, were told when they grew up. What did Neil Armstrong's parents tell him when he first told them he was going to be the first man to walk on the moon? No matter what anyone tells you, you truly can do whatever it is you want as long as you give it your all.
Take a look at me: I'm a senior who was slated as the 2012-2013 Region President of Minnesota FFA's VII Region. Me: Vinzenz John Karl, the kid that grew up in the middle of Richfield and went to a private Catholic school until the 4th grade when his family picked up and moved to little Arlington. The kid that had no idea what agriculture was beyond the dinner table. The kid that got an ISS in 6th grade and two detentions and more anger problems than he'd ever like to remember in 7th. The kid who felt like the single most outcast at his first ever FFA event outside of his chapter. The kid who up until a month ago thought he was going to be a doctor. Now where am I now?
I know I'm no king yet, but I'm on my way and nothing will stop me. I am currently on my way to serving Region VII as their 2012-2013 Region President. I'm enrolled at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to have the best and most educational 4 years of my life to become an Agricultural Education teacher. I take it day by day; learning things most kids learned when they saw their dad do them on the farm. I will give everything I have to continue to grow in my agricultural knowledge because I know I still have a long way to go, I will be the very first and definitely not the last to admit that. I have faced so many setbacks throughout my life I don't know where to start, but I do know where it's going to end. It's all going to lead to me chasing my dreams, no matter what they are or what they turn out to be. Wherever you may see me you might think I may not belong, I may not know as much as you or I may not have the most experience, especially in agriculture, but I do have one very important factor that you most likely don't: My Passion.
This is the thing that separates myself from the rest of the world around me. My passion is the fire within my soul that will carry me farther than I would have every imagined. I truly can't wait to be king. I can't wait for that day when everything I've work towards falls into place and I have truly made it. I can't wait for everyone's reactions when they have seen where I have come from and where I end up. No matter what anyone has ever thought about me or when and where they thought I'd fail, I'll show them that it doesn't matter what they think. Because once I make it nothing else matters. Once I become king all of my struggles will have been worth it.
Never in my life would I imagine I would be honored with such a title as Region President. If you told me I would get the privilege of working at the CHS Miracle of Birth Center this past summer I would have called you insane. As a kid all I knew was the city life and never once did it ever cross my mind that I would have gotten the chance to do many of the things FFA has brought to me, but that's the funny thing about passion. Passion pushes you to do things you never thought imaginable or in your future until you understand what that passion is. Passion is what makes people do some pretty revolutionary things.
So I challenge every single one of you reading this: find your passion and follow it wherever it may bring you. Don't let anyone tell you you can't do something because quite frankly their wrong. Keep pressing on and move forward towards that goal, because once you become King it will all be worth it.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
It's Not What Happens to You, But How You React to it That Matters
(A little forewarning: This blog post is going to be very long. There are some parts that get deep and you get to understand what I felt about some situations and FFA as a whole and there are going to be parts that are going to sound more like a diary and me telling a story. No offense, but this was not meant for you; it was more of a way to get my thoughts out into pixels for me to look at for tomorrow. SO sit back and enjoy :D)
Such a simple sentence fragment...but what does it truly mean? To me it means a new way of life, somewhere to belong and grow and come out on the other side as an amazing person. If you would have known me back in 2003, you would have known 9 year old who loved video games and was pretty good at school. He could make his friends laugh but was awkward around girls and new people. The Vinz Karl as everyone knew him back in Richfield, Minnesota was a bright kid who was going to do some pretty great things with his life. However these aren't the things he was expecting. Later on in the next year Vinz's whole world would shatter with just one piece of news from his mom: The family was moving to little ole' Arlington, Minnesota. "That hick of a town??!?!", Vinz exclaimed, "That's nothing but a village, they can hardly call it a town!" But Arlington would be a new beginning for Vinz and everything he knew was going to be thrown out the window.
When we got to Arlington, I had a lot to learn. I knew nothing about agriculture which meant I basically knew nothing outside of my home; Arlington is a very agriculture-based economy. I went to school and started my 5th grade year and sort of just drifted through 5th and 6th grade, and then the transition to 7th grade was rough on me and you can ask anyone about that. Okay, so I've gotten a little off topic, but it will be worth it, trust me! And here we are, at my 8th grade year: the year that would begin the ball down the great big hill that is: FFA. I joined FFA for a sort of trial period in 8th grade, as 8th graders we were allowed to do some things but not too much, it was a great experience to get my toe in the water and foot in the door, but at this point I basically got just my pinky toe in.
I started to warm up to my ag teacher at that point: Mr. Jeff Eppen. I've never told him this but I was really starting to look up to him for guidance, so when I heard that he was going to South Central to teach the next year, I took it rather hard. I guess you could say this was my first of many let downs in my FFA career. I was looking forward to having an amazing semester in the classroom with him and doing some amazing things, especially making fishing poles. But he went off for a year and his replacement Mrs. Katie Brown stepped in. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate Mrs. Brown, but I didn't really enjoy her either. She was a wonderful person, teacher, and role model, but she wasn't what I was looking for. In my mind she could never hold up to Eppen, so she was at an automatic disadvantage.
Throughout all of this: my 8th and 9th grade year, I sort of just drifted around in FFA. I went to some events and I went to State Convention just to go and I participated in BIG just to make it to state. I helped with the corn drive to get out of school and have a good time with some people. I knew FFA was a cool thing, I just didn't see where I belonged in it and why it was so cool.
So this brings us to let down #2 and #3 of my FFA career: Not getting start Greenhand at our chapter banquet and being announced as the Chapter Parliamentarian for the 2009-2010 year. What did the other two have that I didn't have? Was it because I didn't grow up on a farm? Was I not good enough? What was wrong with me that I didn't get anything I wanted? For goodness sakes, I didn't even know what parliamentary procedure was and I definitely couldn't spell it! But at the same time I wasn't passionate enough about FFA to care that much. At that point it was just an award or an office to obtain; there wasn't much meaning behind it. I guess looking back now, maybe that's why I didn't get it, maybe I didn't deserve any of it. But I just brushed it off and continued living my regular life. It wasn't until my sister talked me into to SGLC when my world would truly fall into place.
SGLC: The deciding factor, the life changing week, the place I found who I truly was. Without it, I don't know where I would be today. I would have nothing to define myself by if I had not found my passion for FFA at SGLC. When I first arrived at SGLC I was lost, terrified, and mainly freaked out by the crazy people around me. Everyone was so excited; what could they possibly be this excited for? It was just another camp that would take up a week's worth of my time. My welcome began with Ms. Katie Zenk recognizing my name because of my sister. At least I started off my week with one friend, if you can call her that at that point. (Of course Katie and I would go on to become fairly good friends in the future, but I had no idea of that) Then we went into bag checks and the medicine check in. Well the Region President who took my medicine noticed my name and how unique it was, got pretty excited about it which made me step back for a moment. I was the quiet and fairly awkward kid that I normally was when I first meet people, so this really got me scared. But I can gladly say that Region President, Ms. Kirsten Pagel, is a great friend and someone who has truly made a difference in my life and helped me countless ways along my path.
When we went into session and throughout the first few days I looked around I felt out of place. I felt like I didn't belong because I didn't live on a farm, love country music, and for goodness sakes I wanted to be a video game designer at that point! I was starting to doubt why I was there at all. But one individual gave a talk in a breakout session that would forever change my life and reassure me every day that I did belong. This individual was Ms. Crystal Jones. Now I don't know if she knows this, but she is the reason I am who I am today; the real reason behind why SGLC made such an impact in my life. Crystal told us that you didn't have to come from, or plan on going back, to a farm. You just need passion and a love of agriculture; for FFA. I started to realize that I did belong; I did love the people who were around me and that they were some truly amazing people that I could have an amazing time with.
Mr. Kirby Schmidt also played a key role in how I viewed FFA. He showed a genuine interest in me: who I was, where I came from, and what I wanted to do. He cared for me on a personal level, and what a concept that was to an incoming FFA member. Here I am, one of the something-odd thousands of members of the Minnesota FFA and the President cares about me. He showed me that FFA can be so much more personal that what one may view on the outside, and he would go on to be a figure to model for others that I could impact through my work. (When Kirby came to our chapter banquet later in the year it was the first time I had ever heard of anyone asking my sister if she was MY sister. It's usually the other way around, and this showed that I was getting a name for myself!)
So yeah, SGLC was an amazing experience and I was going to keep it with me when I got back to my chapter. I was going to use what I learned to go back and kick some butt and truly make a difference; but that was easier said than done. When I got back no one cared that I had gone to SGLC or that I had found my passion for FFA or that I felt like a big shot. They all viewed me as the city kid that is in FFA. Most of the other members of my chapter live on a farm so they are the "experts", which I will agree with them most of the time, I do not know more about agriculture than they do, that's for sure. But what I do have is passion: passion for learning, passion for growing, passion for making a difference in others' lives; passion for the future.
This passion is what keeps me going; it's what keeps me going to FFA event after FFA event and continuing to learn about agriculture as a whole. Now for time's sake (not that I haven't already talked about a lot, but if I told you every little detail I'd be here for hours) I'm going to skip over some events like the corn drives, the officer retreats, and such, to my next let down in my FFA career. #4: Not getting Chapter Treasurer like I so greatly desired.
When I found out I didn't get treasurer I was crushed, crushed like a bug on a windshield. I got the position of Chapter Officer at Large, aka let's give this poor kid a position just to make him part of the team but he really won't have any responsibilities or anything, it's just for show. You'd think I'd be used to it at that point, being underestimated and everything, but nope; it still hurt. But I was going to take that hurt and turn it into something better: passion. I was going to use that disappointment and fuel it into my passion to make that flame even greater. With my passion I was going to take this FFA thing and run it into the ground. I was going to show Eppen and Uhly that they made the wrong choice and that I could outshine anyone.
And this was a great way to keep myself going when I was at a low point in my FFA career, but it could not last. Which is when the perfect opportunity came for me to realize what truly went on in the FFA world. Sure I had touched on it before in my mind, but I had never truly realized it until I went back to camp to SLCCL in 2010. This too was an amazing experience. What this week showed me is that people in FFA care about each other. People I hardly knew, that I saw once every few weeks, months, or once a year, really cared about me. Two men that showed this to me at SLCCL were Mr. Justin Crowley and Mr. Jared Hanson. They cared so much about me and what I would continue to do throughout my FFA career. They are two amazing role models that I have found in my FFA journey.
After all of this I went back to my chapter and I got more readily involved, I started asking about camps and keeping my eyes and ears ready to find any new camps or conferences I could go to. I was climbing up the ladder that was FFA. This all lead to the realization that I was where I was because of those Region Presidents and State Officers that I had met at camps. Thus I was determined to run for Region President and get it. Looking back I probably wanted the position just have it, just as another reason to show Eppen and Uhly that they had made the wrong choice the previous years for chapter officers. My head was in it for all the wrong reasons. I went into the interview nervous and half sure of myself. Thus was born let down #5; I ended up getting Region Treasurer and I was devastated. But everyone I knew told me to make the best out of my year and to consider myself lucky that I got a region office. They were right: I was given that opportunity and I was going to run with it.
And so I did and I used all of my emotions as greater fuel. I used that year to grow and learn about so many things that I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to if I wasn't Region Treasurer. The greatest things that happened in that year were being able to go to WLC and SLCCL again. WLC showed me that I can make a difference. I can do whatever it is I want if I have enough drive and supplies to do it. Even though I am one small person in the grand scheme of things I can do so much to make a difference.
SLCCL #2 was where I realized why I truly want to be Region President. I want to make a difference in so many members' lives like previous Region Presidents have done for me. At SLCCL I took the chance to invest in some members and to able to make a difference in their lives shows me I am doing something right. I may not have been up there as Region VII President, but I was behind the scenes making a difference to at least one person. I want to use that Region Presidency to give back to the organization that has given me my identity, that has taught me more things than I can list back to you, that has changed my life.
So here I am right now: it's 12:11 the night before I run for Region VII President for a second time. I know that no matter what happens tomorrow I will continue to love FFA, I will continue to make a difference, I will continue to be a mentor for others, I will continue to exist. Region Presidency isn't something you should strive for because it's a stepping stone, it isn't something you should do to put on a resume or to pick up girls, it should be something that you are fully passionate about: your region and the members in it. I want to see our region move forward in so many directions, I want to see our members grow and find their passion for FFA. I feel like I can be that difference in the region to make this all happen. But who knows, maybe that's not what the nom com will see in me today, maybe someone else is a better candidate. If that happens to be so then I will gladly welcome it, as long as they better the region greater than I would have.
So this is a light version of what I have been through and why I am doing what I am tomorrow. Like I said, it's more of something for me to look at tomorrow and remind myself of what I truly care about. I have done so much more in FFA than what is written here that doesn't pertain to my leadership, let downs, passion, and drive to make a difference, but maybe that's for another day.
Such a simple sentence fragment...but what does it truly mean? To me it means a new way of life, somewhere to belong and grow and come out on the other side as an amazing person. If you would have known me back in 2003, you would have known 9 year old who loved video games and was pretty good at school. He could make his friends laugh but was awkward around girls and new people. The Vinz Karl as everyone knew him back in Richfield, Minnesota was a bright kid who was going to do some pretty great things with his life. However these aren't the things he was expecting. Later on in the next year Vinz's whole world would shatter with just one piece of news from his mom: The family was moving to little ole' Arlington, Minnesota. "That hick of a town??!?!", Vinz exclaimed, "That's nothing but a village, they can hardly call it a town!" But Arlington would be a new beginning for Vinz and everything he knew was going to be thrown out the window.
When we got to Arlington, I had a lot to learn. I knew nothing about agriculture which meant I basically knew nothing outside of my home; Arlington is a very agriculture-based economy. I went to school and started my 5th grade year and sort of just drifted through 5th and 6th grade, and then the transition to 7th grade was rough on me and you can ask anyone about that. Okay, so I've gotten a little off topic, but it will be worth it, trust me! And here we are, at my 8th grade year: the year that would begin the ball down the great big hill that is: FFA. I joined FFA for a sort of trial period in 8th grade, as 8th graders we were allowed to do some things but not too much, it was a great experience to get my toe in the water and foot in the door, but at this point I basically got just my pinky toe in.
I started to warm up to my ag teacher at that point: Mr. Jeff Eppen. I've never told him this but I was really starting to look up to him for guidance, so when I heard that he was going to South Central to teach the next year, I took it rather hard. I guess you could say this was my first of many let downs in my FFA career. I was looking forward to having an amazing semester in the classroom with him and doing some amazing things, especially making fishing poles. But he went off for a year and his replacement Mrs. Katie Brown stepped in. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate Mrs. Brown, but I didn't really enjoy her either. She was a wonderful person, teacher, and role model, but she wasn't what I was looking for. In my mind she could never hold up to Eppen, so she was at an automatic disadvantage.
Throughout all of this: my 8th and 9th grade year, I sort of just drifted around in FFA. I went to some events and I went to State Convention just to go and I participated in BIG just to make it to state. I helped with the corn drive to get out of school and have a good time with some people. I knew FFA was a cool thing, I just didn't see where I belonged in it and why it was so cool.
So this brings us to let down #2 and #3 of my FFA career: Not getting start Greenhand at our chapter banquet and being announced as the Chapter Parliamentarian for the 2009-2010 year. What did the other two have that I didn't have? Was it because I didn't grow up on a farm? Was I not good enough? What was wrong with me that I didn't get anything I wanted? For goodness sakes, I didn't even know what parliamentary procedure was and I definitely couldn't spell it! But at the same time I wasn't passionate enough about FFA to care that much. At that point it was just an award or an office to obtain; there wasn't much meaning behind it. I guess looking back now, maybe that's why I didn't get it, maybe I didn't deserve any of it. But I just brushed it off and continued living my regular life. It wasn't until my sister talked me into to SGLC when my world would truly fall into place.
SGLC: The deciding factor, the life changing week, the place I found who I truly was. Without it, I don't know where I would be today. I would have nothing to define myself by if I had not found my passion for FFA at SGLC. When I first arrived at SGLC I was lost, terrified, and mainly freaked out by the crazy people around me. Everyone was so excited; what could they possibly be this excited for? It was just another camp that would take up a week's worth of my time. My welcome began with Ms. Katie Zenk recognizing my name because of my sister. At least I started off my week with one friend, if you can call her that at that point. (Of course Katie and I would go on to become fairly good friends in the future, but I had no idea of that) Then we went into bag checks and the medicine check in. Well the Region President who took my medicine noticed my name and how unique it was, got pretty excited about it which made me step back for a moment. I was the quiet and fairly awkward kid that I normally was when I first meet people, so this really got me scared. But I can gladly say that Region President, Ms. Kirsten Pagel, is a great friend and someone who has truly made a difference in my life and helped me countless ways along my path.
When we went into session and throughout the first few days I looked around I felt out of place. I felt like I didn't belong because I didn't live on a farm, love country music, and for goodness sakes I wanted to be a video game designer at that point! I was starting to doubt why I was there at all. But one individual gave a talk in a breakout session that would forever change my life and reassure me every day that I did belong. This individual was Ms. Crystal Jones. Now I don't know if she knows this, but she is the reason I am who I am today; the real reason behind why SGLC made such an impact in my life. Crystal told us that you didn't have to come from, or plan on going back, to a farm. You just need passion and a love of agriculture; for FFA. I started to realize that I did belong; I did love the people who were around me and that they were some truly amazing people that I could have an amazing time with.
Mr. Kirby Schmidt also played a key role in how I viewed FFA. He showed a genuine interest in me: who I was, where I came from, and what I wanted to do. He cared for me on a personal level, and what a concept that was to an incoming FFA member. Here I am, one of the something-odd thousands of members of the Minnesota FFA and the President cares about me. He showed me that FFA can be so much more personal that what one may view on the outside, and he would go on to be a figure to model for others that I could impact through my work. (When Kirby came to our chapter banquet later in the year it was the first time I had ever heard of anyone asking my sister if she was MY sister. It's usually the other way around, and this showed that I was getting a name for myself!)
So yeah, SGLC was an amazing experience and I was going to keep it with me when I got back to my chapter. I was going to use what I learned to go back and kick some butt and truly make a difference; but that was easier said than done. When I got back no one cared that I had gone to SGLC or that I had found my passion for FFA or that I felt like a big shot. They all viewed me as the city kid that is in FFA. Most of the other members of my chapter live on a farm so they are the "experts", which I will agree with them most of the time, I do not know more about agriculture than they do, that's for sure. But what I do have is passion: passion for learning, passion for growing, passion for making a difference in others' lives; passion for the future.
This passion is what keeps me going; it's what keeps me going to FFA event after FFA event and continuing to learn about agriculture as a whole. Now for time's sake (not that I haven't already talked about a lot, but if I told you every little detail I'd be here for hours) I'm going to skip over some events like the corn drives, the officer retreats, and such, to my next let down in my FFA career. #4: Not getting Chapter Treasurer like I so greatly desired.
When I found out I didn't get treasurer I was crushed, crushed like a bug on a windshield. I got the position of Chapter Officer at Large, aka let's give this poor kid a position just to make him part of the team but he really won't have any responsibilities or anything, it's just for show. You'd think I'd be used to it at that point, being underestimated and everything, but nope; it still hurt. But I was going to take that hurt and turn it into something better: passion. I was going to use that disappointment and fuel it into my passion to make that flame even greater. With my passion I was going to take this FFA thing and run it into the ground. I was going to show Eppen and Uhly that they made the wrong choice and that I could outshine anyone.
And this was a great way to keep myself going when I was at a low point in my FFA career, but it could not last. Which is when the perfect opportunity came for me to realize what truly went on in the FFA world. Sure I had touched on it before in my mind, but I had never truly realized it until I went back to camp to SLCCL in 2010. This too was an amazing experience. What this week showed me is that people in FFA care about each other. People I hardly knew, that I saw once every few weeks, months, or once a year, really cared about me. Two men that showed this to me at SLCCL were Mr. Justin Crowley and Mr. Jared Hanson. They cared so much about me and what I would continue to do throughout my FFA career. They are two amazing role models that I have found in my FFA journey.
After all of this I went back to my chapter and I got more readily involved, I started asking about camps and keeping my eyes and ears ready to find any new camps or conferences I could go to. I was climbing up the ladder that was FFA. This all lead to the realization that I was where I was because of those Region Presidents and State Officers that I had met at camps. Thus I was determined to run for Region President and get it. Looking back I probably wanted the position just have it, just as another reason to show Eppen and Uhly that they had made the wrong choice the previous years for chapter officers. My head was in it for all the wrong reasons. I went into the interview nervous and half sure of myself. Thus was born let down #5; I ended up getting Region Treasurer and I was devastated. But everyone I knew told me to make the best out of my year and to consider myself lucky that I got a region office. They were right: I was given that opportunity and I was going to run with it.
And so I did and I used all of my emotions as greater fuel. I used that year to grow and learn about so many things that I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to if I wasn't Region Treasurer. The greatest things that happened in that year were being able to go to WLC and SLCCL again. WLC showed me that I can make a difference. I can do whatever it is I want if I have enough drive and supplies to do it. Even though I am one small person in the grand scheme of things I can do so much to make a difference.
SLCCL #2 was where I realized why I truly want to be Region President. I want to make a difference in so many members' lives like previous Region Presidents have done for me. At SLCCL I took the chance to invest in some members and to able to make a difference in their lives shows me I am doing something right. I may not have been up there as Region VII President, but I was behind the scenes making a difference to at least one person. I want to use that Region Presidency to give back to the organization that has given me my identity, that has taught me more things than I can list back to you, that has changed my life.
So here I am right now: it's 12:11 the night before I run for Region VII President for a second time. I know that no matter what happens tomorrow I will continue to love FFA, I will continue to make a difference, I will continue to be a mentor for others, I will continue to exist. Region Presidency isn't something you should strive for because it's a stepping stone, it isn't something you should do to put on a resume or to pick up girls, it should be something that you are fully passionate about: your region and the members in it. I want to see our region move forward in so many directions, I want to see our members grow and find their passion for FFA. I feel like I can be that difference in the region to make this all happen. But who knows, maybe that's not what the nom com will see in me today, maybe someone else is a better candidate. If that happens to be so then I will gladly welcome it, as long as they better the region greater than I would have.
So this is a light version of what I have been through and why I am doing what I am tomorrow. Like I said, it's more of something for me to look at tomorrow and remind myself of what I truly care about. I have done so much more in FFA than what is written here that doesn't pertain to my leadership, let downs, passion, and drive to make a difference, but maybe that's for another day.
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