Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Our Fellows
What would our hobby be without our fellow breeders? In fact, how much would our lives be diminished without our fellow breeders? I shudder to think about it. In fact, I think I'll go out on a limb and said that my fellow breeders are more important than my rabbits.
Imagine that you are the only person in the world who raises rabbits. Would that be satisfying? Sure, in some ways it would be. But it would be limited to the interaction with the rabbits themselves for the most part (the appeal of the rabbits themselves is not to be underestimated - is there anything more precious than a three-week old rabbit?)
Now imagine that you sold your rabbits, but continued to be involved with your fellow breeders. Sure, it's not the whole enchilada, but it has a lot more to offer than rabbits with no people.
Rabbit breeders are, for me, a kind of extended family. They ask about the children, they encourage me on my diet, they keep me informed when someone in our rabbit community is hurting, they support me when I have a bad turn of events, and much more. And I care about their children, their diets, their trials, and their happinesses, too.
They are people I look forward to visiting with. Just stop one morning and count how many hugs you see as breeders meet and greet each other. Watch all of the chatting that goes on. See the smiles on people's faces that are not there for rabbits, but rather for rabbit breeders.
Even beyond the lovefest, other breeders are important to us. How does the admiration of one of your rabbits feel? I personally love it. How does sharing with someone else a rabbit that does well feel. That should feel good, too. How about getting advice or giving advice? How about encouraging someone?
And then there's competition. No, I haven't forgotten that. I love a good competition. And I prefer to win over losing. But I also know the disappointment of getting to the table with the only broken junior buck. Sure, he's first place, but first place of what? We need other breeders to make competition worthwhile, too.
I know that for me, breeders of my own breed are the closest to me. We do have more in common, but breeders of other types of rabbits also populate my bunny world and enrich it, as do judges, and club members that I work side by side with.
So, what's the bottom line of all of this? If you've forgotten that people are more important than rabbits, perhaps it's time to take a breather and give things some thought. If you are missing out on enjoying all of the people part of our hobby, it's not too late to readjust your priorities. Don't forget that to nurture our hobby and keep it healthy and vibrant, we need to nurture our breeders, not run them off. Give support to those who need it. Appreciate all of the volunteers who make things happen. Indulge in conversations, hugs, compliments, and encouragement.
If you appreciate the people part of our hobby, you are always a winner. And then if your rabbits do well, it's just the cherry on your sundae.
Laurie ¶ 10:47 AM
Imagine that you are the only person in the world who raises rabbits. Would that be satisfying? Sure, in some ways it would be. But it would be limited to the interaction with the rabbits themselves for the most part (the appeal of the rabbits themselves is not to be underestimated - is there anything more precious than a three-week old rabbit?)
Now imagine that you sold your rabbits, but continued to be involved with your fellow breeders. Sure, it's not the whole enchilada, but it has a lot more to offer than rabbits with no people.
Rabbit breeders are, for me, a kind of extended family. They ask about the children, they encourage me on my diet, they keep me informed when someone in our rabbit community is hurting, they support me when I have a bad turn of events, and much more. And I care about their children, their diets, their trials, and their happinesses, too.
They are people I look forward to visiting with. Just stop one morning and count how many hugs you see as breeders meet and greet each other. Watch all of the chatting that goes on. See the smiles on people's faces that are not there for rabbits, but rather for rabbit breeders.
Even beyond the lovefest, other breeders are important to us. How does the admiration of one of your rabbits feel? I personally love it. How does sharing with someone else a rabbit that does well feel. That should feel good, too. How about getting advice or giving advice? How about encouraging someone?
And then there's competition. No, I haven't forgotten that. I love a good competition. And I prefer to win over losing. But I also know the disappointment of getting to the table with the only broken junior buck. Sure, he's first place, but first place of what? We need other breeders to make competition worthwhile, too.
I know that for me, breeders of my own breed are the closest to me. We do have more in common, but breeders of other types of rabbits also populate my bunny world and enrich it, as do judges, and club members that I work side by side with.
So, what's the bottom line of all of this? If you've forgotten that people are more important than rabbits, perhaps it's time to take a breather and give things some thought. If you are missing out on enjoying all of the people part of our hobby, it's not too late to readjust your priorities. Don't forget that to nurture our hobby and keep it healthy and vibrant, we need to nurture our breeders, not run them off. Give support to those who need it. Appreciate all of the volunteers who make things happen. Indulge in conversations, hugs, compliments, and encouragement.
If you appreciate the people part of our hobby, you are always a winner. And then if your rabbits do well, it's just the cherry on your sundae.
Laurie ¶ 10:47 AM
