THE OLD CORRAL

I had a childhood friend that taught me several lessons that I'll neverforget. His name was Jim and he was a dreamer. He always liked to thinkup new ways of doing things and had a way of bringing others into thosedreams. He was a tremendous friend that understood things beyond hisyears.

Jim and I were about 13 or 14 years old farm kids. I knew him most of mylife and we were always at each others homes, especially after we got ourmotorcycles. One day Jim walked me down to his parents back pasture. Itwas quite a hike but it was worth it when he painted out his dream for us.The pasture area sat at the bottom of a wooded hillside a short distanceaway ran a small creek. Jim took me over to a specified location justinside the woods and said, "Well, what do you think?"

I said, "Think about what?"

He said, "About the cabin that we're going to build?"

I remember thinking that he was crazy, but he was insistent. He told aboutall the fun we were going to have and how it would be a whole lot betterthan a tent. By the time he was done painting his dream, I was sold. Isaid, "When are we going to start?!?!"

Jim said, "Oh, we need to start by building the corral."

I said, "A corral? What for?"

Jim replied, "In case we need to put horses or cattle into it?"

Well, it was Jim's dream, so I agreed. I remember working for several daysdigging through the virgin soil under the trees, hitting roots, andcomplaining an awful lot. I remember taking axes and chopping down treesand dragging them over to the selected location. We trudged onward, untilabout a week later (It seemed more like a year) we finished.

As we stood back admiring our corral, Jim said, "Good now we can startworking on the cabin!" As we walked back to his home that evening, Iremember Jim turning to me and saying, "You know Terry, I have to be honestwith you. I didn't want us to build that corral for horses, or cattle."

I said, "Then why did we build it?"

Jim answered, "We built it so that I would know if you really would help mebuild the cabin."

Jim understood the importance of making dreams real and that dream onlycome true when commitment is involved. We did finish building the cabinlater that year, and it was a source of fun and pride for many, many yearsto come. It all started with an idea, a dream, and someone who understoodthe importance of commitment.

I am now an administrator of an elementary school and Jim taught me severallessons that I still apply today. I still try to paint my dreams in vividcolors and make them touchable for others and I still work with my staff tobuild corrals.

"Your words are continually educating others around you. Let them create aportrait of enthusiasm and faith"