"Tennessee 4-H: Your Voice is the Driving Force"
Caty Rush, Hamblen County

         Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, “The human voice is the organ of the soul.” This statement couldn’t be any more true. With Tennessee 4-H, your voice is the driving force. By speaking out and voicing your own opinion, your power is limitless.  You have the power not only to change the community you live in, but also to change the lives of others and yourself. In other words, you have the power to do anything!

         Have you ever been in town on a dark, cold night? If you have, chances are that you have witnessed people who are homeless, unemployed and hungry. We often take our own abilities for granted, thus causing us to leave behind underprivileged peopled like these. By using your voice, a new ability forms within. This is the ability to express compassion. Sometimes if the time is taken to simply speak, listen, and communicate, a sense of hope is instilled within the souls of those who aren’t so fortunate. Just imagine the change your community would undergo if, as a 4-H’er, you put your natural “driving force” to good use!

         The building blocks for a solid community are people willing to do their part, express their thoughts creatively and look to the future with good hopes for the generations to come. It is the 4-H’er’s job to help out in whatever ways possible so that everyone has what it takes to make the best better. So many individuals’ lives could be forever transformed if reaching out and giving back were at the top of our to-do list.

         Pay close attention the next time you see a fellow 4-H’er. Some of his or her main qualities probably include selflessness, respectfulness, responsibility and hospitality. The exertion of these qualities is usually done by means of self-expression and voice. Once a 4-H’er, your life is changed forever. You are looked up to, and your ideas are taken into consideration. As a 4-H’er, this “driving force” called voice is the one that pushes you to succeed and strive to none other than the best.

         Longfellow’s words couldn’t prove to be any more true. Voice changes your community, yourself and your peers. Furthermore, don’t hide any longer, let your voice be heard, and always remember one thing: with Tennessee 4-H, your voice is the driving force!