Being Left Out is Not Always a Bad Thing

Everyone wants to feel included no matter where they are in their walk through life. We all want to feel like we are needed, that we’re liked, and that we are a part of something. It’s human nature to want to be included in a group; it makes us feel wanted, appreciated, needed, and of course, liked. These feelings never go away as we get older. They just change through the maturity that we have developed within ourselves.

I remember as a kid, being very involved with the girls at the barn where we boarded our horses. We would constantly have sleepovers, go on trail rides, and do horse shows together. We were a tight knit group. You can imagine my surprise when the State 4-H Horse Show came around and each county’s group of participants had to pick two teams for the Team Penning event. The event requires three people per team. It is a timed event where team members must ‘cut’ away calves from a heard based on a random called number that they wear on their torso and then move the calves into a smaller gated area, or pen, on the other end of the arena. My horse was the fastest horse at our barn, so I was SURE that people wanted to be on my team. Much to my surprise, everyone had already picked their teammates without my knowledge, and I was the only person going to the event without a team in place. Everything was going to be left to chance I thought. I wouldn’t know anyone else at the event that would know how to participate. So, I wasn’t even sure that I would be able to participate. My feelings were hurt. I felt betrayed by my friends, and a little like a loser, to be honest.