Where in the world does the time go? It is Sunday night and I don't want the weekend to be over. Why can't there be 4day weekends and 3 day work weeks? Honestly, who thought working 5 days in a row was ever a good idea.
I was invited to be a judge for the Orange County 4-H dress review. It was just a wonderful time. It bought back some wonderful memories and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The competition was outstanding this year. The age group I judged was 14 - 18 yrs. I worked with two other women, picking the top candidates who will be entered into the regional and then moving to state. I can remember every dress review I was ever in, yes, all 10 of them.
I joined 4-H when I was 10 years old and participated until I was 20 - then they kicked me out. The rule was that you could not be in after age 20. I don't know if there is still that age qualification or not. I learned so much from those years of competition. I learned skills and I learned leadership. I am so happy to be able to give back just a tiny bit.
The outstanding moments of my 4-H experience is almost always summed up in the women who were my leaders. Women that I respected and admired. Women who seemed bigger than life to me and so accomplished. I only dreamed of ever being like them. They were encouragers as well as enforcers of the rules, teaching me how to win a ribbon and compete. I have a box full of 4-H pins and ribbons that are reminders that with encouragement and discipline great things can be accomplished. At least they were great things when I was 11 or 12 years old.
I will never forget my first demonstration project. I thought I would die before I finished that thing. I had it memorized and practiced until I knew it forward and backward. Of course infront of judges, my mind blanked and I did the demonstration on autopilot. I couldn't remember one thing I was supposed to say and don't know what I said when I was done. I learned that delivery of a speach while doing a presentation takes way more skill than I every thought. Guess what? I learned the skill and next time did it flawlessly. I competed in demostrations state wide.
The projects I took in 4-H were many. I consistently took clothing all 10 years. I took foods, demonstration, electricity, and horses. When I was in high school I was a Jr Leader and was an officer in the Jr Leader group. Yep, I kept my parents on the road hauling me around alot....
Wonderful memories... I'm so grateful for the things I learned as a kid. I still today use those skills. Who would have ever thought???
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