The other night, I was watching the prime-time Olympic replays with my family. As the announcers discussed the discus and shotput competitors ahead of the events, I took the opportunity to use our living room rug as my own throwing circle. I lined up my feet, spun, and launched my imaginary discus into the air. My 10-year-old son smiled. While he is now at the point where he will not admit anything I do is cool, I could tell he thought it was pretty neat that I still knew the moves all these years later.
My high school field coach who taught me that technique, Billy Joe, was a humble and jolly community member who would meet me at the practice field every day. I am not even sure he was a named coach; he just loved volunteering his time to teach the sport. My high school was 26 miles from my home, so I would practice for hours until one of my parents could get away from the farm to come pick me up. I would spin again and again, trying to implement every small tweak he recommended. Our entire track and field team loved Billy Joe, and we were fiercely loyal. He would turn on his old truck and play music none of us liked and we would tease him in good nature. He had the excitement and pride of a child on Christmas when he showed us the newest discus or shotput he had bought with his own precious money for us to use. I recall with fond memories how he shared his time and passion with us.
As I lay in bed that night, I reflected on the generous gifts of time that so many people voluntarily invested in myself and others as a youth. Only now as an adult do I realize how very precious time is. Careers, parenting, animal care, personal wellness, home maintenance . . . to-do lists almost always exceed the time we have available. And yet, people with just as many duties and often even fewer resources still choose to prioritize investing in the youth of the next generation.
Billy Joe was one of many people that poured into my growth and development. I am so fortunate to have had coaches, 4-H leaders, parent volunteers and more freely give their time to the next generation. These gifts of time shaped me, and I cannot imagine my youth without their influence. The only way to possibly pay them back is to pay it forward. Time is a gift.
The author grew up on a Florida dairy farm, obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of South Florida and has spent her career in dairy processing. She now serves as business development manager for North America with Bunge. Erin and her husband live in St. Louis, Mo., with their three children. Her personal mantra is “Be Bold.”