For over 15 years, I have worked with teenage boys by volunteering with the Boy Scouts in my hometown. It's a pleasure to have several experiences with my boys as they grew into Eagle Scouts. One of the things I always ask them is, "What is your passion?"
The other day, a young lady, who is working on a 4-H project, asked if she could come to the radio station and interview me. She is studying media in her 4-H group. She arrived at the station with a series of prepared questions and we talked for about 20 minutes about what we do locally and worldwide at iHeartMedia.
I was impressed at her line of questioning, especially when she asked me to tell her about my passion. I replied that I have a passion in every part of my life. Of course, my work passion is radio. I explained how I am dedicated to reaching my listeners with entertainment and information to make their day better. We also talked family, recreation, lifetime goals and much more. I thanked her for the question and explained how I think that passion is your true direction in life. Then, she responded that her mom helped her compose the questions, which impressed me even more. I love the fact that a teenager spent time and consulted with her mom about her extra-curricular activities that will help her grow and mature.
"County Fair Season" is coming up and, like many, I will be at them for countless hours. Knowing this young lady and hundreds of kids, are developing a passion for something because of 4-H, FFA, and other groups, run by volunteering adults who are dedicating their time to help these kids develop that passion, makes it all good for me.
In closing, if you can visit any of our fairs this year, please do and make sure you walk through the barns, check out the exhibits and thank a few adult volunteers because one week of the Fair is a culmination of hours and years of work, by many people, all dedicated to a passion and helping to create some.