Can I tell you something? I've never really told anyone this, but I grew up rich.

I know I grew up rich because we had a daily, personal entertainment show that passed down Garrett Road every morning at approximately 10:45. When we saw the mail car go up the road for deliveries, we’d pull our cast together. Some days a garden snake if we could find one, usually a frog, more than once a pygmy goat went into our big, tin mailbox to provide a sweet surprise for the mail person. 

I say “person” because we went through four mail carriers during our childhood; I have no idea why.

I know I grew up rich because on the northeast corner of the 40-acre field across from the bull lot sat a diversified piece of land that needed some serious drainage work. Much to our delight and our mother’s dismay, it was a soggy mudhole in the springtime. But when that first hard freeze came in January, that patch transformed into our own private ice-skating rink. 

I never had much desire to travel to Rockefeller Center to ice skate, when all I needed was just across the road. And hot chocolate was often waiting after chores.

We can visit all day long about the economy, but I’d like to think that the youth in the Angus breed are growing up rich, too, and I have no speculation on what kind of income they gain from their unique operation, or what that black-hided steer will sell for this summer at the county fair. 

Youth in the Angus breed are growing up rich because they have the most state-of-the art weight room at their disposal, daily. 

Who needs barbells when you have buckets? Who needs a sauna when you have a 12,000-square-foot hayloft? Who needs to attend two-a-day practices when you’re fully committed to a hay wagon on a 90° day? 

Rich is having the opportunity to work on the family farm while enjoying the same views of land an ancestor had 100 years ago. 

Youth in the Angus breed are growing up rich because on any given day, they’re able to reach out to an industry mentor and get a letter of recommendation. How fortunate to have leaders and innovators within reach of our youth, encouraging their aspirations and affirming their work thus far. Words often used in said letters may be hardworking, dependable, competitive and passionate. But rich? It’s never been mentioned.

Youth in the Angus breed are growing up rich because they’re granted accountability at an early age. They know fully what could happen if not persistent in the halter-breaking process. They understand they’ll have someone to answer to when pens go untouched, calves go untreated or deadlines are not met. 

Forget nightmares about tripping down the steps at the high school; rich Angus kids have nightmares about what happens when a water hydrant is left on. 

I’m sure it’s fun to have the latest iPhone^® or the best truck in the high school parking lot. But I’ve never believed having the best of the material things makes you rich. Since I was young, I’ve always thought being raised in the cattle industry means that you already are. 

Did you also grow up rich? Are you still today?