It is about time, sheesh! I have been away from the blog scene for far too long. I find myself with some free time tonight to get caught up, sort of, on my digital entries.
This week begins a journey that will likely carry me through the remainder of my working days. I started with Dow Agrosciences officially as of May 2. so far I have driven from Salt Lake to Boise and spent the day today sitting in business meetings. Now, all of that sounds fantastic (and it really is in all honesty) but here is the observation from my perspective.
I climbed into my brother's work truck this morning at seven A.M. and took the arduous drive west across the southern desert of Idaho. Sage brush and and green grass framed the ominous stretch of highway that lay before us. After just under two hours of bobbing along the rough concrete corridor, we pulled into Boise and met my new boss at my make-shift home for the night. We sat and talked for a few minutes after our arrival at the hotel. I met Steven, my future coworker and later Billy, also a tenured veteran of the agricultural seed industry. Both of which will, in some form or another become my mentors as I grow within the work that they have made a living off of.
As I sat perpendicular to both of these men, Steven to my left and Billy to my right, I couldn't help but observe them; Who they had become. I saw sun-tanned squinty eyes and white hair. This labor of love had turned their skin to leather, and shaped their character. For hours they swapped stories of old customers, business deals and funny stories. Much to my surprise I listened to their conversation of sales and work in what I can only describe as a form of Chinese dialect. I had ignorantly assumed that I would be able to assimilate into the world of agriculture with relative ease. I mean, I did grow up in Idaho. That credential alone practically makes me a farmer, right? I worked on a cattle ranch and had a basic idea of how farming worked. This should be easy. Wrong. It isn't. It is highly complex and is a game involving time-sensitive organisms, technology ridden farm equipment, and very capable business men - farmers included.
My take away from today, I have a lot to learn. Luckily I have a willing, capable, and qualified group of people in my corner. I have some lofty expectations and a travel schedule that would make most career salesman cringe, but I am cautiously optimistic and anxiously engaged. It will most certainly be the opportunity of a lifetime. I am looking forward to getting started and hoping I can find some kind of dictionary for the language I heard spoken this morning between Steven and Billy. Wish me luck!
