RetiRing AddRess: LAndAn schAffeRt 32 Believe <strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
Etiring AddrEss: lAndAn scHAffErt “THe WaY I see IT” When we were little, my sister Anthonya and I weren’t afraid to dream big. When we had an idea, we did it! Although she’s three years younger, Anthonya has always been one of my best friends and role models. We did everything together. Whether it was playing in our sandbox, soaring through the air on our big swing set, swimming with our dog Kicker in the stock tank or having fun in our garden, she was always by my side as my fellow adventurer. Growing up, we went through many different stages. First came the Superhero Wannabe Stage. I wanted to fly like Superman, and Anthonya wanted to ride in a transparent plane just like Wonder Woman. We would spend hours dressing up and creating our own reality. I can still remember wearing my blue Superman sweatshirt that my grandma Schaffert made for me. I loved wearing it with my red cape and jeans. Side by side, Anthonya and I would soar through the air on our swing set, pretending that I was flying alongside her plane. Next came the Flintstone Wannabe Stage. We loved watching Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, Pebbles, Bam Bam and Dino on television. I was Fred. Anthonya was Wilma. And together, we worked tirelessly hauling large rocks and bricks in my little red wagon to create our very own Flintstone village in the garden. We had it all: Brick walkways, stone fences, trees, a clubhouse, a little toy car that you pedaled with your feet and even a hand dug creek that ran from the water hydrant to the edge of the garden. Finally, as we grew, we entered the Titanic Stage. In fourth grade, my class did a research project on the unsinkable ship, and I became fascinated with anything and everything related to the Titanic. My sister, who wasn’t quite as interested, was always recruited by me to help as we worked to construct our own 15 foot, wooden Titanic clubhouse. It even floated in the huge mud puddle next to the driveway. It had tables, chairs, rope lights powered by a drop cord that ran back to the house, two flagpoles and, to complete the look, four fake smokestacks made of tin. Regardless of what we were up to as kids, one thing was certain—we were always chasing our dreams. As children, we dream about doing something big, and we do it. Often, as we grow, we lose that childlike faith and stop believing that we can do what we dream. But why? Why do we stop believing in ourselves? We still have the potential to become extraordinary. We really can accomplish remarkable things. Each of us possess unique talents, skills and passions that we can use to bring our biggest dreams to life. But before we do, we must believe that we can. Believing is having faith that everything will work out. Believing is working hard to cultivate our dreams. Following a dream is like walking on a journey. We’ll never reach our destination unless we take it one step at a time. To do what we dream, we must step with faith, and step with diligence. Faith. One of my mom’s favorite quotes is: “We walk by faith, not by sight.” She always says that having faith is believing in what you can’t see. For me, this definition of faith takes on a special meaning. Imagine this: Seventy plane rides, 120,000 miles traveled, twenty-five states visited and thousands of <strong>FFA</strong> members met, all in the course of one year. Now, imagine that for that year, you couldn’t see a gate number in an airport. You couldn’t see to drive to or from any 33 Believe <strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>2011</strong> of your destinations. You couldn’t see the menu in a fast food restaurant. And, you couldn’t see well enough to remember any of the faces of the countless people that you met. Instead, you had to remember them just by the sound of their voices. For the past 12 months, this… has been my life. My eyes don’t allow me to see well at all. I was born with a vision condition known as Congenital Rod- Cone Dystrophy that has left me legally blind and unable to see much of the beauty that surrounds me. Our world is filled with beautiful sights. Whether it’s day or night, something intricate or something simple, beauty is everywhere. Think about some of the things that are beautiful to you… like a starlit sky. When you look into the night sky, this is what you might see. (Picture of stars is displayed) When I look into the vastness of the evening sky, this is what I see. (A black screen is displayed) All those breathtaking summer nights spent sitting outside, listening to the peaceful chirp of the crickets and the calls of the cattle in the distance, and honestly, I’ve never seen a single star. But I know they’re there, and I know they’re beautiful. I have faith. When you look at something as simple as a cornfield, it looks like this. (Picture of cornfield is displayed) I bet it’s beautiful. This is what I see. (Extremely distorted cornfield picture is displayed) Although I’ve been around cornfields all my life back home on our family farm, my eyes have never allowed me to take in the true beauty of a cornfield. But I know they’re beautiful. I have faith. (Pause as photo of women’s restroom sign is displayed) Being legally blind does have its
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