COWS

I have been traveling again -
same road, more boredom, more cows.
Mostly black cows.

My friend Nancy made me laugh.
Apparently among the Navajo people of Arizona
a standard goodbye involves black cows.

 I love it!

This trip provided more food for thought.
I promise it isn't as long as my last cow diatribe -
 I have to finish washing out ink.

We were just driving along in the zoned out mode with scenery passing - one field after another - a herd here, a herd there, every now and again strays or singles not in a herd ...
pretty much same, same - yawwwnnn.

Then there was this one Holstein cow. JUST ONE.

The thing that made this cow stand out was that she was in the middle of a herd of Black Angus. Not only did her bony hips jut taller than the surrounding cattle but she was mostly white. You've heard of standing out in a crowd? she stood out in the herd.  My husband (driving) even woke up enough to notice it at the same time. She was very different.

It got me thinking.

Holsteins are mostly known as dairy cattle for their super ability to produce an abundance of milk, yet because of their great size may also be used for beef.

Angus are known for beef production - especially known as tasty beef, yet they also produce milk, although less of it generally for shorter periods of time.

Sometimes (and we may be so zoned out we don't notice) there is an abundance of one thing, all around us, all the same. Maybe, sometimes, being different could be a very good thing. True it makes one stand out, but where would we be if we only had meat, not milk? or milk and not meat?

Milk vs meat - sometimes I need the simplest things - the beginnings.

Simplicity. Starting like a baby on milk.

What (I wondered) is the most basic and simple thing missing for most of us? For me?

At my daughter's, my grandson begged me to read some books written by Max Lucado. He especially liked the one about wooden people labeled with gold stars and grey dots (I think it was titled 'You Are Special').  One girl was different - she had neither dots or stars.  She went to see her maker and talk with him every day.

I think that is a good starting place:
talking with my maker everyday -
getting rid of my stars and dots,
 my pride and my prejudice, (and that of others)
 and restoring the surety that I was created by him
and that he made me the way I am -

so I can be different!