End of an Era

I'm in a very transitional time right now.

You know, that awkward stage where you're leaving the carefree life of childhood, yet putting off adulthood as long as possible? I'm getting to a place where hanging in limbo isn't okay today.

I was very, very involved in 4-H. I started late, joining in high school. I was very involved, though, holding offices in my local and county organizations. I led committees, ran service projects, served as a junior leader, and helped get kids started in their own projects. I went to state more than once for visual arts, even winning the purple ribbon once. (That's a big deal.)

Senior year of high school, I served as founding president of our shiny new FFA chapter. It was a big thing for me, at the time. I dug in deep and spent hours and hours building that chapter up, doing PR and making phone calls and organizing meetings.

Well, both of those organizations are over and done with for me now, other than on a volunteer basis.

This means other than as a hobby, my primary project, raising rabbits, is really not necessary anymore.

I've spent the day advertising my rabbitry sell-out. I'm keeping one rabbit, an old doe that has been a faithful mother to over 30 babies in her lifetime. Other than that, all must go.

I have other reasons for selling the rabbits (money, time, allergies, etc.) but a big part of it does have to do with the fact that the 4-H and FFA part of my life is over. It's bittersweet. I'll be free of the freezing-cold chores, the disappointment of losing babies, the costs...but I'll be missing so much more.

I'm sending what rabbits I can to 4-Hers that could use them to build their programs up. At least then I can know that my sell-out will be benefiting kids who are learning valuable lessons of responsibility, money management, and husbandry.

Well, that's enough from my rant. I'm pretty sad to be saying goodbye to the bunnies of Hopalong Rabbitry, but it's time to move on. Someday, I'll raise animals again (preferably one I'm not allergic to), but it's just not a good time in my life for that now.

Yup, I'm growing up. I'm trading internships for blue jackets and green clovers. Scary.