Confessions of a Guppy…

I am a Guppy.  Or should I say I WAS a Guppy.  After my experience this weekend – NO MORE!

As I have stated before here on this blog and elsewhere when it comes up in conversation, I LOVE 4-H.  I have always strived to support young people enrolled in this worthwhile Youth Development Program, but I made a BIG goof recently.  Despite my conviction that life is about choices and choices, however difficult, will ultimately serve to help us grow as individuals, I took pity on a 4-H family in our county.

Due to some scheduling snafus, the annual 4-H Super Saturday, normally scheduled for the 3rd Saturday in January, fell this year on the 4th – the same weekend as a very popular rabbit show.  Our 4-H Rabbit & Cavy kids normally make plans to attend this show and several opted to miss the Super Saturday this year in favor of the show.  One of the 4-H members who would have joined the other rabbit kids, however, had committed to giving a workshop as part of her senior project.  I should have left things alone, but I offered to take rabbits to the show for her.  DUMB!

It was only 3 rabbits, but 3 different breeds.  I and a friend spent the day making sure not only OUR rabbits (yet a 4th breed) got to the table on time, but each of these 3 rabbits to their repective tables.  We also made the effort to listen to the comments since this was a ‘no comment card’ show and collect the ribbons.  (All rabbits did rather well.)  The show was especially harried as the weather was threatening, so Shows A & B were run back to back with no break in between.

We managed to be on our way home at a decent hour and about 30 minutes away from home, I gave the family a call to give them a heads-up we were on our way.  No answer.  I arrived home and called repeatedly between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM.  There was either no answer or a busy signal.

Sunday morning came.  I called again – no answer.  After church I called again.  Same result.  By now I started to worry that some ill might have befallen the family.  I called the 4-H Program Assistant.  Yes, they were present at Super Saturday and had left by 2:00 PM.  I knew the weather wasn’t too terribly bad at that time, so chances are they had arrived home safely.  In desperation, I decided to drive to their home.

They were there.  Mom was at work, but both girls were there as well as Dad.  I didn’t receive an explanation, a thank you, or a “How did the rabbits do?”  I was furious, but managed to be civil.  I suggested they pick up their bunnies.

So…What did I learn?  I learned that if something is truly important one needs to weigh the pros and cons and make a decision.  My offer of help was unappreciated and didn’t teach the 4-H member anything.  There is a big problem these days with young people having a sense of entitlement and I contributed to that perception.  It will not happen again.

Thus saith the FORMER Guppy.