A World View

Do I have one?

I thought I was somewhat in-the-know. . . I mean, I catch the Today Show now and again (in between Curious George and Sesame Street), and read the newspaper and read online news , when I'm not checking out the sale site from Banana Republic. So, I guess that answers the question:

No, I am not at all worldly.

This is entirely my fault, and, in becoming a farm wife, and more specifically, a livestock farm wife, I have land-locked myself to this itty-bitty piece of the world forever. Which, I might add, I am happy to do so, as my piece of the world isn't generally associated with mud slides, earthquakes, nuclear war testing areas, and the like. I like my little part of the world. However, thinking that because I live in rural America, the world's problems do not affect me or my family's livelihood is unrealistic. Just today, my husband and father-in-law were talking about the way the stored grain in Brazil could affect the markets here.

Seriously, now I have to worry about Brazilian markets? I haven't figured out the way the grain markets work here! YARGH!

However, I should take this conversation as a teachable moment. I should hop online and google Brazilian grain markets. I should ask questions. I should try a Brazilian Steakhouse.

I guess just as important as asking questions to become more knowledgeable in the agricultural sector, I must also become more diversified in my knowledge of the world.

Well, duh, Emily.

How do I do this, on a shoestring budget, not to mention as a fearful flyer with control freak tendencies???? I would love to say that I could hop a plane and travel around the world for a few months, just to get to know it better (which, I would like to add, a former runner of mine did, and has an amazing blog about her journey.). However, in this stage of my life, I am unable to accomplish such a feat. Even though hands-on learning like this would be the best way to experience the world, I'm going to have to adapt my strategy.

So, I'm starting with the basics: perhaps using the Internet "for good," as my brother would say. Time to get worldly.

Maybe this would help beef up the image of a livestock farmer? Here's hoping we can dispel the images of bib overalls and bad grammar. Talk of the farmer's image is everywhere in the agricultural world, and I would like to help to work against these stereotypes. But, how can I do so when I'm not able to intelligently converse about the drought in Europe and its affects on the markets here? How am I to know that my cattle are the best beef around, when I have never taken in a Kobe steak dinner (notice I haven't been out on a date night in awhile??)? I would like to be able to speak intelligently in regards to the world market, and not just know how much rain "So-and-So" got up the road. It's easy to slip into the comfort of our own backyards, but in order to be more worldly, I am going to have to step out of my comfort zone and ask more questions of more people. I have stepped out by becoming a nuisance to my farmer family members, why not move on to strangers?

Time to get worldly . . .after I clean up the kitchen dishes and put the kids to bed!