Bulls, Boys, and Blessings

Flame Sparkers and Flame Snuffers

Julia Jacobsen Growing Small Towns Hungry Canyon Rural Revival

Flame Sparkers and Flame Snuffers

I thanked them for the comment, and it struck me that I don’t FEEL inspirational BUT I do look for inspiration like it’s a second job. I feel inspired by others often because I ACTIVELY seek inspiration. I do this to counter the opposite feelings of being uninspired, dull, lacking, depressing.  Those are all valid feelings and there is a time and place for them, but you can’t linger there for long. 

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Creating Space for Daydreams

Julia Jacobsen

Creating Space for Daydreams

It takes special people to have the desire to make a checklist of to do’s so long your sheet of paper could roll out the door and wrap around the block. That is exactly what the Allen’s have done with this space. They just keep whittling away at that check list. The list may still be long but it doesn’t wrap around the block any longer. If you look real close you can see the end of the list way down the street. If you have spent any time in this building you will eventually be asked to take a seat at their table that has been the holder of blueprints, sack lunches and note pads with lists and dreams. You have listened to them daydream and you have let yourself daydream a little about the possibilities of what having something like this in our town could really mean. 

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Is this what momentum feels like?

Julia Jacobsen Harrington Locals revival rural small changes small town

Is this what momentum feels like?

This little farming community that I’m from is experiencing momentum in a wave that we haven’t had in quite some time.  The 80’s were rough on rural areas.  As a kid growing up here I had no clue about the business’s that closed their doors or the impact that would have on my community in the decades ahead.  I have memories of getting out of school and heading down to the drugstore to buy candy.  That big heavy door with the large bell on the front that would let the shop owner know he had a customer.

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Sharing the things ranchers don’t talk about.

Julia Jacobsen barn date night loss rancher

Sharing the things ranchers don’t talk about.

As I was preparing this story I shared it with Luke to make sure I got the details of that evening correct.  This happened over a year ago and sometimes it takes a year to soften losses.  It would have felt odd to share any sooner but I think there is value in sharing the things ranchers don’t talk about.

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Waving the Month of May, part two.

Julia Jacobsen kindness rural small changes small town wave

Waving the Month of May, part two.

Did my attempt to wave at everyone I see in my small town move mountains? Nope, I noticed no mountains moved. Did it change something inside for me? Yes, I think it did and it goes back directly to the notion that you notice what you focus on.  I do in fact think people are waving more.  Does it have anything to do with me? It is rather unlikely but if it did that’s cool too.

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