It was several years ago when I was ringside at World Dairy Expo. All of my family was back home on the farm and I don’t know if it was a circumstance I was going through or I was just having a bad day, but I was feeling lonely and defeated. It was a busy day, I was tired and I think I just needed a hug.
The International Jersey Show was about to begin and the ring men were coming onto the colored shavings to discuss the flow of the show. I picked up my camera to go into the ring to begin taking pictures of the spring calf class. I looked up and saw one ring man in particular headed in my direction, Ronnie Mosser.
It didn’t matter what state or arena we were in, if it was a National Jersey show, Ronnie ‘Mo’ would be in the ring directing traffic. He would chat with each exhibitor and was friendly to the photographers no matter how many times we hollered at him to get out of our shot. He took his ring duties seriously and with Ronnie ‘Mo’, you needn’t worry about the champion line up or the cleanliness of the animals, he had it all covered.
At the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg this year, I saw a young woman leading a white heifer into the ring. She wasn’t normally at this show, and I was surprised to see her so far from home. I looked up at her, gave her a quick wink and a smile and went back to work.
As I was finishing up posting results after the show, she came and plopped herself down next to me and gave me a big hug. I told her how surprised I was that she was leading at that show and she explained that she was there with her significant other who was working for a string. Then she said something I completely understood. She told me she felt odd and lonesome at this show. She had never been there before and she felt completely out of her comfort zone until she saw me. She said, “I saw you in the ring and I felt a sense of peace and thought everything is okay now, Melissa’s here.”
I hugged her again and said, “I know exactly what you mean.”
This world can be a lonely place and at holiday time it can get even lonelier. Make sure you flash that sweet smile or extend a warm hug just in case someone around you needs a little touch of ‘home.’
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