Time

Kayden Driggs

Idaho FFA State President

Time is one of the most important things in the world. I am not talking about the time on a clock. We all spend our time doing things we like, things we don’t like, time having fun, time being sad, and maybe even time that we wish we still had to do something. Time plays a role in our life every day and if we are not careful we could loose something that is so important. As a young kid I loved animals. I was always wanting another animal to take care of whether that be a dog, cat, goldfish, and even at one point a lizzard, but mind you I already had all four. There was one animal in particular that was always at the top of my “must have” list, and that was a horse. To this day my favorite animal is still a horse. The deep love that I have for horses comes through my grandpa. My grandpa started to teach me how to ride a horse at the age of 3. As I grew older I became a better rider and more helpful when it came to my grandpa’s cattle ranch.

“There was one animal in particular that was always at the top of my “must have” list, and that was a horse.”

I spent every weekend and every spare minute I had with my grandpa doing anything and everything. At the age of 15, I finally had my own horse! All my hard work had paid off and all the time spent learning valuable lessons from one of the best teachers made it even more special. I have always been invested in animals and still hope one day to take over the family ranch and continue what I and those around me love so much that has been made possible with time. The summer of 2020, I had just graduated high school, I knew I wanted to see the world on my own, and I wanted to go to college, so thats what I did. I left behind everything I had for a new experience, including all my family. In November of 2020 my grandpa fell ill unexpectedly, later while on a Christmas vacation in January of 2021, my role model and best friend passed away. At first I was frustrated, mad, sad, confused, and just about anything you can think of, I felt it. I began to slowly realize that things happen for a reason. I was so grateful for the time I was able to spend with my grandpa.

Everyday I wish I could go back in time so I can see him again, but it was time that taught me lessons, brought us close together, and made me appreciate when I was with him. Time is a valuable and precious thing and we never know when it is their or our time. Use your time to spend with your family, saying hi to a stranger, and try new things, because time is something we can’t get back. Use it to your fullest.

-Kayden, thank you for your outstanding service to Idaho FFA and for sharing the motivation that time is ours to use wisely!