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Patience is Key

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One of the essential things we lack as a society is patience. We want everything now; be it the latest, greatest phone, car, home, clothes, or job to name a few. Our inability, or lack of desire, to forego what we want, when we want can and does get us into trouble.

Living on the prairie of South Dakota will teach you to be prepared, be practical and be patient. The best laid plans of mice and men, ranchers often go awry, especially when Mother Nature wields her power.  People have lived on the prairie long before there was electricity, generators, big, fancy green tractors, pickups with heated seats and/or steering wheels, and lived to tell about their adventures — because they were prepared, practical and patient.

Patience is key, horses in sunshine, winter, snow, the south dakota cowgirl

Folks here stayed home when there was a blizzard, or when temperatures dipped well below zero. They knew you could get lost in your own yard when the snow and wind came at the same time, and as such, barns were close to home, and various techniques were employed to make sure they could still feed the animals housed in the barn, or that they had fuel to warm their homes. They waited until the storm had passed to go feed their cows or go to town.

Today, with all the technology available to us, I think we’ve forgotten how to wait.  We figure the pickup should take us where we need to go. That we can get to the cows in our fancy, green tractor and, that dang it, all, we shouldn’t have to go without electricity.

Fancy Green tractor, patience is key, john deere, the south dakota cowgirl, snow, winter, horses in winter
The Cowboy and his brother build a wind-break, from round bales, for the saddle horse herd.

The blizzard that rolled through here Christmas night was a good reminder to me that I’m not as patient as I should or could be.  We were without power for two days and I nearly went stir crazy.  Our generator will run the lights, but not the geothermal heat pump.  Fortunately, we have a gas stove, so I could cook, and I keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer, so in that regard, I’m practical and prepared. I wasn’t prepared, however for the waiting, and that’s a lesson that’s never bad to practice.

Waiting applies to starting our colts, teaching our kids, or even sorting cows: wait. Wait on the colt to find the answer, wait for the cow to find the gate, or wait for the kids to learn the hard way.  I’m sure many of us are often inclined to push the colt through the rough patch (I try to avoid this so I don’t get my arse bucked off!), the cow through the gate, or make the decision for the kid, but that doesn’t help any of them learn, and it certainly doesn’t help us gain any patience.

I hope that next time I feel like the world has come to a near end due to Mother Nature, I’ll be better prepared to just sit and wait.

Have you learned any lessons about patience recently? 

Happy Trails!

This was originally written for Ag week. 

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

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Comments

  1. Raquel Lynn says

    I agree with all of this. Technology makes things instant and people get antsy if you make them wait a few days for an email response. I have been patiently searching for a new horse these past few months. I keep reminding myself that there is no rush, no hurry, and that the right one is worth waiting for.

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