Recently, I had the chance to spend some time with the South Newton FFA Chapter during their retreat at the center. After a great dinner together, someone had the idea to kick off a round of ChatGPT campfire stories—and of course, most of them ended up involving mysterious adventures in the woods.
Inspired by the stories, a few members decided they actually wanted to head into the woods themselves. So, a few of us state officers thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take a hike out to the Vesper Bowl—a special spot at the center where reflections are often held during conferences.
The thing about the Vesper Bowl is... it’s deep in the woods. And, well, none of us state officers could quite remember exactly where it was. After a few false alarms of, “This is it!”—only to realize it definitely wasn’t—it’s safe to say some of the members started to question if the Vesper Bowl was even real.
But eventually, we found it.
And once we got there, something powerful happened. We started talking. Then, one by one, members began standing up and giving impromptu speeches—completely unplanned, but full of heart. Watching them speak, I was reminded just how incredible our members truly are. They had the courage to stand up in front of their peers and share words that meant something.
One speech, in particular, has stuck with me. A member shared a simple, yet meaningful message: "Life is like a box of chocolates. Sometimes you're going to get the caramel ones—and maybe you don't like caramel. But there's always more chocolate left that you will like."
They used this metaphor to describe not just life, but FFA. You might try a CDE or LDE, change something about your SAE, or attend a conference—and it might not be your favorite. But that doesn’t mean the whole experience is ruined. You just have to keep going, keep exploring, and eventually, you’ll find what you love.
So, think of your FFA journey as a box of chocolates. Even if one piece isn’t your favorite, the next one might surprise you.
Life is like a box of chocolates,
I do remember saying that, indeed.
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