As another weekend started out, I was excited about going on yet another adventure with the Texas Beef Council. I woke up to a cold front that had blown in and I had forgotten my jacket, however none of that seemed to matter by the time the day was over. This was a very special day and even though it may not have started out that way, it will be one that I cherish for a while. It was a day that we all needed; One to remind us why we do the things we do and who we do them for.
I was super excited when the morning began because we were in Rhome! Rhome, Texas that is. We were on our way to visit Dr. Ron Gill’s Ranch. This was very special for me as Mrs. Debbie Gill has truly been an inspiration, mentor and guide to me this last year. Being able to grow my relationship not only with her but her husband has been amazing!
We were headed to the Ranch to do a Farm to Fork Tour. A what?? You are probably asking yourself. Well, a Farm to Fork Tour is a program that consists of dietitian and students who are working to become dietitian. They all gather in the morning and normally have breakfast. This time they were able to visit the National Cowgirl Museum, which I am sad to say I missed! Our registered dietitian, Hawley Poinsett, gave an overview on the nutritional importance of lean beef. Include red meat in your diets! It is not bad for you and there are 38 lean cuts of beef to pick from. The group was then given an introduction to beef production and how/what beef production is. The group then finally arrived at the Gill’s Ranch. Our grill master, Jerry McPherson, was able to do a Grilling 101 class with the ladies. They were all able to cook their own steaks and have lunch. I am sure you may be curious to know what Grilling 101 is, but it is basically an introduction to the art of grilling. Jerry and I headed out to the next gig we had lined up for the day.
As we traveled to the city of West, we discussed the upcoming event. I knew it was going to be another Grilling 101, however I did not know how much of an impact that specific event was going to have on me. As we arrived at Brookhaven Youth Ranch, the boys had already started their 5K run! After the 5K run Jerry and I (mostly Jerry) were going to do a Grilling 101 for the boys. At the time, I was so focused on getting everything set up for the event that I did not really know the importance of exactly where we were. I knew we were at a youth ranch but this youth ranch was a special one. Brookhaven Youth Ranch is for teenage boys who have been in unpleasant situations. It was not until we gathered around to do the Grilling 101 that I really began to understand the situation. These boys were so excited to have us there! They could not wait to grill a steak, and some of them had never even tasted a steak before. This was probably the biggest Grilling 101 I had done so far so it was quite an experience as well. Everything turned out amazing and the boys really enjoyed themselves. It was so great to see how one small event can impact them so much and they were also all so very polite!
Now the event was special, but it was not until last week that I realized how special the event was. Last week the thank you letters all came in. They had even made some out to me personally! It was reading the thank you letters that really made that day special for me. To see how one small act could make such a positive impact in their lives. Our small event could have potentially changed their lives for the better. It was not just about the steaks they ate, it was about showing them that people cared for them. Having people who care about you beats everything.
So, do not forget that while sometimes life’s events may seem to all run together and you may not be quite sure why you are doing something, think back to the people you are impacting. You may be making great changes in people and not even know it. This internship has been better than I ever dreamed it would be. Even if this was the only event I did all year this still would have been the best internship. Being able to have a positive influence in someone’s life, especially someone who has been through so much, is a humbling experience. I mean how can it get any better than that?
Until next time …
Casey.Lynn 