One of my favorite songs growing up was “Geronimo,” by Sheppard. Not only do I love the beat, but I also love the message behind the lyrics. The song talks about taking the plunge to do something new. “Geronimo” and “Bombs Away” are both part of the chorus and are words that people say to remind themselves that they are fearless.

While I strive for fearlessness, it is not easy for me. I am a planner, and I have my “to do’s” set a particular way. It is hard for me to deviate from the plan and jump fearlessly into the unknown. It takes a lot in me to say “Geronimo” and make the leap. But, I have gotten over my apprehension a time or two and tried something new.

All of my life, I had been trained to judge livestock. My high school plan was to go in and start with horse evaluation, then meats, and then livestock judging my junior or senior year. A state office was not in that plan at all. I did do horses my freshman year, and enjoyed FFA knowledge much more. Sophomore year I did much better with ag issues than meats, and my junior year I fell in love with parliamentary procedure. Senior year, I did livestock, but it was kind of in the background as I competed for state office.

I would not change anything about what I ended up doing in high school, but it was only through the efforts of my advisors that I ripped my plan in half and “dove into the waterfall” as the song says. Don’t be afraid to try something new. You never know where it will take you. Make the leap and say “Geronimo.”