Thursday, December 29, 2005
The True Meaning Of Rabbits
What does being involved in raising and showing rabbits really mean to you and to me? Why do we value it so much and what do we get out of it? Sometimes, we are not aware of our basic motivations or the needs that certain parts of our lives fill. When we know why we do certain things, we can better understand our knee jerk reactions, emotional responses, and, just perhaps, make better decisions.
Learning
It is very true that I am happiest when I am learning new things. I don't like to be totally baffled without a clue to what is going on. But give me a body of knowledge and some things to try out and learn about at my own pace, and I'm in heaven. Obviously, the rabbit hobby was a great choice for me because learning is never-ending. Rabbits are always fascinating. There's always something to learn. The adventure never ends.
Pride
The pride of accomplishment after hard work and overcoming obstacles has got to be one of the best feelings in the world. This true, substantial pride should not be confused with boasting or showing off. Although that can be fun among friends, it's not the same thing as the warm glow of well-earned pride. It's fun to talk about a rabbit's accomplishments and to wave your flags high after some nice placement (or maybe even in anticipation of them). But the feeling of pride deep within yourself, whether anyone else even knows it, is the best of all. It's far better than the hardiest congratulations.
Love
Sure, I know they love the feed I bring more than they love me, but I do get a warm sense of being wanted when my bucks stick their heads way out of their cages towards me. Or when a rabbit would rather crawl up onto my chest than stay on the show table. I can't help but think of love when I see a mother rabbit licking her baby. Or a baby scrambling over obstacles to snuggle in beside his dam.
I also enjoying seeing folks come to my barn to pick out their new pet rabbit. Sometimes it is love at first sight. Other times, I have the distinct feeling when they leave that love is just around the corner. And then there are those emails that are full of expressions of love for their rabbits, who have just settled in so nicely.
Friendship and Fellowship
I moved from metro Atlanta to Ararat, VA. Ararat is so small that our family actually raised the population perceptively. Not being "from around here," I don't have a lot in common with my neighbors (beyond my family, of course). So the rabbit community has become my community and rabbit people have become my neighbors and friends. I have no idea what is going on two doors down from me, but I know when my friends miles away get a new rabbit, or have a baby, or suffer an illness.
I love solitude and quiet (yes, that's why we adopted four children . . .). But from time to time, I want to talk with adults about something fun and enjoyable. I don't know what I would do without my bunny friends. I think that suddenly my secluded life that I enjoy so much up here on my hilltop would become lonely instead.
Power and Influence
There's no doubt that having rabbits as a hobby can give you a sense of power. If nothing else, you have a sense of power over nature. You are deciding which rabbits to breed when. And you contribute hugely to the rabbits that are produced. Of course with my personality type, power over nature is very enticing.
You may also experience a sense of power and influence in the rabbit community. You may be "Somebody." Your opinions may matter to people and you may be a person who causes things to get done or causes things to be done in a certain way. Shows may happen because of you. Or they may run smoothly because of you. What you say and do matters to other people. You have power.
This type of power I shy away from. It's a two-edged sword with lots of responsibility to it. It's the type of power I craved as a young person, got in my career, and then decided that it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. But even so, power that comes to you naturally because you contribute to the good of the organization is one thing. Power that you go after and try to grab for yourself is something else altogether.
I respect more the people who gain their power from service to others rather than people who gain their power from their ability to control and manipulate.
Travel
It used to be that I hated a drive in the car. But now, I really enjoy the time, even with the added odor of a couple dozen bunnies in the back. I'm becoming familiar with highways I never thought I'd ever travel. The boundaries of my life have rolled back. Way back. The idea of making a trip anywhere doesn't seem the least bit unusual. I've visited places and made mental snapshots that I'm sure will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Making Money
I'm not sure that this is the best motivation for being in bunnies (meat, fur, and fiber excepted). But for some people, it does seem to be one of the reasons they raise and show rabbits.
I sold about $7500 worth of rabbits this year. My expenses were approximately $9500. I think that's great. For about $2000 for the year, I've traveled between one and four weekends per month and had a great time. Hobbies cost money. And my bunnies are a hobby. I think if it were purely a business, I would lose the joy of it. Pressure would become too much a part of my hobby.
I suppose I could raise the prices on my rabbits. They generally sell very quickly, which might mean I could get more if I raised the prices and waited a bit longer. But I would feel stressed doing that, so I probably won't. I take pride in feeling that I give value, perhaps above the selling price, for the rabbits I sell. It's not a perfect system, but I try.
And I think that getting good rabbits into the hands of as many people as possible is good for the hobby. When the prices go up too high, some people have to drop out.
Esteem
Most, or more probably all, people like to be respected and admired. Our hobby does provide that opportunity. How many bunny people have your admiration? You probably have a list of folks that you highly regard for their leadership ability, for their hard work, for their dedication, for their willingness to help others and share, for their organizational abilities, for their sweet dispositions, for their technical knowledge, for their artistic flare, for their ability to produce rabbits that fit the standard, and so forth. Yes, opportunities to win the esteem of your fellows abound in bunnies.
True Meaning
The true meaning of rabbits varies from person to person and is, in all likelihood, very complex - perhaps, not completely understood by even that person. It is a mistake, in my view, to think that everyone values their hobby to the same extent or in the same way. We're all different and we all see things uniquely. That's true for virtually every part of life, and it's no less true in rabbits.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:27 AM
Learning
It is very true that I am happiest when I am learning new things. I don't like to be totally baffled without a clue to what is going on. But give me a body of knowledge and some things to try out and learn about at my own pace, and I'm in heaven. Obviously, the rabbit hobby was a great choice for me because learning is never-ending. Rabbits are always fascinating. There's always something to learn. The adventure never ends.
Pride
The pride of accomplishment after hard work and overcoming obstacles has got to be one of the best feelings in the world. This true, substantial pride should not be confused with boasting or showing off. Although that can be fun among friends, it's not the same thing as the warm glow of well-earned pride. It's fun to talk about a rabbit's accomplishments and to wave your flags high after some nice placement (or maybe even in anticipation of them). But the feeling of pride deep within yourself, whether anyone else even knows it, is the best of all. It's far better than the hardiest congratulations.
Love
Sure, I know they love the feed I bring more than they love me, but I do get a warm sense of being wanted when my bucks stick their heads way out of their cages towards me. Or when a rabbit would rather crawl up onto my chest than stay on the show table. I can't help but think of love when I see a mother rabbit licking her baby. Or a baby scrambling over obstacles to snuggle in beside his dam.
I also enjoying seeing folks come to my barn to pick out their new pet rabbit. Sometimes it is love at first sight. Other times, I have the distinct feeling when they leave that love is just around the corner. And then there are those emails that are full of expressions of love for their rabbits, who have just settled in so nicely.
Friendship and Fellowship
I moved from metro Atlanta to Ararat, VA. Ararat is so small that our family actually raised the population perceptively. Not being "from around here," I don't have a lot in common with my neighbors (beyond my family, of course). So the rabbit community has become my community and rabbit people have become my neighbors and friends. I have no idea what is going on two doors down from me, but I know when my friends miles away get a new rabbit, or have a baby, or suffer an illness.
I love solitude and quiet (yes, that's why we adopted four children . . .). But from time to time, I want to talk with adults about something fun and enjoyable. I don't know what I would do without my bunny friends. I think that suddenly my secluded life that I enjoy so much up here on my hilltop would become lonely instead.
Power and Influence
There's no doubt that having rabbits as a hobby can give you a sense of power. If nothing else, you have a sense of power over nature. You are deciding which rabbits to breed when. And you contribute hugely to the rabbits that are produced. Of course with my personality type, power over nature is very enticing.
You may also experience a sense of power and influence in the rabbit community. You may be "Somebody." Your opinions may matter to people and you may be a person who causes things to get done or causes things to be done in a certain way. Shows may happen because of you. Or they may run smoothly because of you. What you say and do matters to other people. You have power.
This type of power I shy away from. It's a two-edged sword with lots of responsibility to it. It's the type of power I craved as a young person, got in my career, and then decided that it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. But even so, power that comes to you naturally because you contribute to the good of the organization is one thing. Power that you go after and try to grab for yourself is something else altogether.
I respect more the people who gain their power from service to others rather than people who gain their power from their ability to control and manipulate.
Travel
It used to be that I hated a drive in the car. But now, I really enjoy the time, even with the added odor of a couple dozen bunnies in the back. I'm becoming familiar with highways I never thought I'd ever travel. The boundaries of my life have rolled back. Way back. The idea of making a trip anywhere doesn't seem the least bit unusual. I've visited places and made mental snapshots that I'm sure will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Making Money
I'm not sure that this is the best motivation for being in bunnies (meat, fur, and fiber excepted). But for some people, it does seem to be one of the reasons they raise and show rabbits.
I sold about $7500 worth of rabbits this year. My expenses were approximately $9500. I think that's great. For about $2000 for the year, I've traveled between one and four weekends per month and had a great time. Hobbies cost money. And my bunnies are a hobby. I think if it were purely a business, I would lose the joy of it. Pressure would become too much a part of my hobby.
I suppose I could raise the prices on my rabbits. They generally sell very quickly, which might mean I could get more if I raised the prices and waited a bit longer. But I would feel stressed doing that, so I probably won't. I take pride in feeling that I give value, perhaps above the selling price, for the rabbits I sell. It's not a perfect system, but I try.
And I think that getting good rabbits into the hands of as many people as possible is good for the hobby. When the prices go up too high, some people have to drop out.
Esteem
Most, or more probably all, people like to be respected and admired. Our hobby does provide that opportunity. How many bunny people have your admiration? You probably have a list of folks that you highly regard for their leadership ability, for their hard work, for their dedication, for their willingness to help others and share, for their organizational abilities, for their sweet dispositions, for their technical knowledge, for their artistic flare, for their ability to produce rabbits that fit the standard, and so forth. Yes, opportunities to win the esteem of your fellows abound in bunnies.
True Meaning
The true meaning of rabbits varies from person to person and is, in all likelihood, very complex - perhaps, not completely understood by even that person. It is a mistake, in my view, to think that everyone values their hobby to the same extent or in the same way. We're all different and we all see things uniquely. That's true for virtually every part of life, and it's no less true in rabbits.
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun
¶ 11:27 AM
