Finding Youth Or Gaining Wisdom

I don’t consider myself to be old, but I also know I can’t, and most of the time don’t want to, do the things I was able to do 20 years ago. Now hopefully with that age comes wisdom, or so we tell ourselves so we can accept the inevitable tradeoffs that come with the passing of time

Troy Marshall 2, BEEF Contributing Editor

May 6, 2011

1 Min Read
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I don’t consider myself to be old, but I also know I can’t, and most of the time don’t want to, do the things I was able to do 20 years ago. Now hopefully with that age comes wisdom, or so we tell ourselves so we can accept the inevitable tradeoffs that come with the passing of time.

I got the chance to ride around the country with one of the industry’s bright young men this week. He is in college and is looking to build a future, a life, somewhere in this business, and it really was quite refreshing. I think I had a similar kind of hope and optimism at that age; sadly I struggle to even remember.

Some would argue that my youthful optimism was because I was naïve and that with experience would come a tempering of expectations. I don’t think so. Priorities change, expectations change. Things like helping the kids practice livestock reasons becomes a priority that you never thought it would. And perhaps with age we learn that life is not so much about the destination as the journey.

For me, spending time with kids and bright young adults increasingly is an important part of that journey. It reminds me of the power of hope and optimism. Even more than that, it is a powerful lesson that most great things are accomplished because someone isn’t smart enough to see all the pitfalls before they get started.

About the Author

Troy Marshall 2

BEEF Contributing Editor

Troy Marshall is a multi-generational rancher who grew up in Wheatland, WY, and obtained an Equine Science/Animal Science degree from Colorado State University where he competed on both the livestock and World Champion Horse Judging teams. Following college, he worked as a market analyst for Cattle-Fax covering different regions of the country. Troy also worked as director of commercial marketing for two breed associations; these positions were some of the first to provide direct links tying breed associations to the commercial cow-calf industry.

A visionary with a great grasp for all segments of the industry, Troy is a regular opinion contributor to BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly. His columns are widely reprinted and provide in-depth reporting and commentary from the perspective of a producer who truly understands the economics and challenges of the different industry segments. He is also a partner/owner in Allied Genetic Resources, a company created to change the definition of customer service provided by the seedstock industry. Troy and his wife Lorna have three children. 

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