Walking along the path to the farm, recently white-washed with a fresh coat of snow, I noticed a calf standing outside our heifer barn. Oh boy... getting a loose calf back in the barn can be quite simple, or it can be a strategic contest of wills! This youngster, who appeared to be about six months old, caught sight of me quickly and took off around the back side of the barn.
It would seem we were off to the races.
Not wanting to spend all day chasing a calf, I went to the main barn to round up some assistance. Thinking I had accomplished that, I walked back to the heifer barn. My rose-colored glasses perfectly in place, I began to think this would probably go much more smoothly than I originally anticipated. It just took a gentle nature, patience and possession of a little more intelligence than the calf...
(Anyone reading this who has worked with cattle is snickering at this point.)
I got just close enough to realize the escapee was none other than my SWEET Lillyanne, before she galloped off to make another lap around the barn. I calmly opened the door to the pens and walked in further to adjust the gates enough so she could get a little ways back in the barn, and none of her buddies could get out. I envisioned her walking in, me coming in quietly behind her and closing the big door. Piece of cake! Then reposition the gates to let her in her pen... problem solved!
Think again, Diva Girl. Lillyanne walked partway in just as I anticipated, and never took her eyes off of me. The moment I started to get close to the door, she was trotting off for another trip around the barn! I lost track of how many laps we made around that barn before an assistant arrived.
Same plan, two people! I replaced my rose-colored glasses and we try again. Guess what? Lillyanne outfoxed us both! This is the little baby born so weak just this past summer, correct? This afternoon was proof she is one smart, healthy little pain-in-the...
(I did not just say that.)
Assistant Number Two arrived and, at long last, Lillyanne was returned to her pen.
Some people think cows are stupid. I don't buy it. Cows are not as inquisitive as a horse. However, I do believe they are intelligent, and at times quite stubborn! They learn their routines, they have personalities, and when they decide they are going in a different stall or taking off to see the sights - there's not a whole lot you can do to convince them otherwise. Ever seen a cow chew her cud? How thoughtful they look! Perhaps they were made to digest their food in this manner in order to have time to mull over whatever other life questions they might have...
Sometimes we'd all be a little better off to slow down and chew our mental cuds a bit longer.
I don't believe in stupid people any more than I believe in stupid cows. People learn and grow in many different ways. Just because someone chooses to experience life outside of their respective 'barn' and refuses to go down the expected path of life, doesn't make them any less intelligent than the rest of us. Perhaps they are MORE intelligent. They're choosing a different route, and maybe they will see things we won't see, because we're too busy "doing it right". Some take longer to process information and form their thoughts, but that doesn't make them stupid. It just makes them thorough.
Hey Lillyanne, should we go another lap? Maybe we should wait until the temperature is above freezing!
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