Yes, FFA. And, beyond.
My time in the organization has prepared me for life beyond it.
This past year has been the most meaningful year of my life thus far. It’s my hope I can say that about each following year, too.
I have loved my time in the National FFA Organization, from a first-year member in my awkward freshman days to my seventh and final year serving in the role of a national officer. Each year, I have grown, I have learned, and I have loved; even as I took off my blue corduroy jacket for the final time at the end of our 94th National FFA Convention & Expo, I know there is much to look forward to.
You see, the FFA isn’t meaningful simply within itself. The greater reason the organization is so meaningful is because of how it prepares young people like myself for a future outside of it. To hold on too tightly is to disregard the purpose of the very thing we’re holding. This applies to anything, I think, not just organizations that have a time limit. As my national officer team’s manager said so eloquently at our retiring reception, “you six have completed the highest challenge offered by our organization, and with that, you have outgrown the jacket. Now, you are unleashed to go do even more good in bigger places than the FFA.”
Yes, I have loved my time in the FFA. I will forever cherish the memories made, the lessons learned, and the people met. It’s been the greatest privilege of my life. And, yes, I will continue to invest and serve and learn and grow beyond the organization. I’m excited for one of those ways to be through the continuation of this weekly blog.
One of the many lessons I have learned throughout this year is that people are always worth our best. Even when we’re tired, lonely, or drained, there is no one who is not worthy of the best of what we have to give. I’ve been on the receiving end of this countless times. I’ve learned how to better live it out. This blog is one such place. So, even as my time in the organization which prompted me to begin this blog has ended, the weekly lessons on dissecting dichotomies will continue.
You, my dear reader, have invested in me. Allow me to continue investing in you, too.
What is one thing you hope to see in future weeks of #EmbracingComplexity? Let me know in the comments or tag me on Twitter or Instagram @miriamrosah.
Awesome and inspiring stuff! I just watched your 94th FFA retiring address on youtube and it was fantastic! I once heard someone say "tradition is a toad squatting on the mind." LOL sometimes this may be true, but obviously it's a lot more nuanced than that and your speech did a dynamite job of acknowledging the deep value of tradition while qualifying the ingredients for mindful change that lead to true progress towards a better world. Your message makes me think bigger and want to engage with people and the world around me more in order to better appreciate it's complexities and the deep roots of all of it's processes and life forms, and then just maybe to stir up some ripples of positive change as I trudge my humble path through life on earth. Thanks for this wholly positive content that lifts me up onto the sees of changes!
Well said Miriam! I am so inspired by your dedication to this project! I can’t help to think of all the people you’ve impacted and will continue to impact!