John Wick
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Feb 2004
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Posts: 27 |
John Wick Talks 3 - Persistence Pays
Because I don’t know how to type or use the computer, I’m tape recording this for my assistant Lisa to type for me.
As I recently watched T. R. Michels giving a seminar about everything there is to know about whitetail deer and how to successfully hunt them, it suddenly hit me. I realized that I should have known this many years ago, but somehow I never thought about it. The earth-shaking, new revelation that banged me on the head was the simple fact that it’s impossible to look at someone or chat with them for a few minutes and come to a correct assessment of their commitment and perseverance and determination and dedication.
In every sport, business, or human endeavor there are a few—very few—people who against all odds keep trudging onward and upward day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. They’re all human so they all have lots of trials, tribulations, and bumps in the road. Yet these few people never get sidetracked for very long, and they keep quietly working and learning and improving their chosen endeavor.
It’s very quick and easy to see who makes the smoke blowing meter spin, and it’s very easy to see the guys and gals that are loaded with pizzazz and charisma. It’s usually easy to spot people who wish they were someone they’re not, but they put on a great act and do manage to fool many people.
T. R. Michels and people like him are totally different though, and I’m so proud to call this man a friend of mine. T. R. from his home base in Minnesota has quietly worked and struggled and hung in there. Despite numerous obstacles in his life, he’s become a nationally known writer and expert on wildlife behavior. Although he never finished college and received a degree, his books and studies are often used in college courses to teach future wildlife biologists and researchers. Even though he’s calm, quiet, and has suffered a horrible episode in his life that seriously disfigured his face, this guy gets up in front of crowds all over the nation doing speeches and seminars. He gets their attention, holds their attention, teaches and entertains them, and leaves them wanting more. Every single day he tries to learn more. Every waking hour he tries to understand more things that aren’t yet understood. He tries to figure out what is really truth and fact and what is incorrect even though it may be accepted as fact by many who don’t think, study, or try to constantly strive for improvement.
Yes, as I sat there watching T. R., I realized that no one meeting him would understand his commitment and perseverance. Yet in the end, isn’t that what really separates the people who want to change and improve the world from those that actually do?
One of my favorite magazines in the whole world is Western Horseman. I’ve enjoyed it for about 40 years because every month it’s jam-packed with interesting stories about good people, educational articles about famous horses, and numerous articles packed with information I can use to make my horses and mules better. You better believe I need all the help I can get. I’m not a gifted or natural horseman or athlete, but I’ve always been interested in horses and mules so I keep trying to learn even though those critters keep trying to make me walk more and ride less.
But seriously, if I was rich or younger, I would probably start a new tree dog magazine and use a similar format as Western Horseman. Every business, hobby, pastime, or whatever you want to call them—other than the tree dog sport—have magazines packed full of information to help the subscribers succeed in becoming better. Some tree dog fanciers might say, “Well heck, there’s nothing more to know than pet your dog when it trees, shoot all the coons down to it, and go to Nite Hunts and manipulate your way to a win.” However, I know that many thousands of people want much more info than that.
A couple of months ago there was a really nice article in Western Horseman about another man that I’m very proud to call a friend. Charlie Trayer, like T. R., is not an obvious or natural superstar yet he’s nationally respected and famous for two things. The first is his amazing and innovative new ways of training serious cattle catching and herding dogs. Knowing there is always a better way to do everything, Charlie and some of his friends have significantly changed the way cattle dogs that work for a living are raised, trained, and bred. It started with this Kansas resident and some friends assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the different breeds of cattle dogs. Through many years of trial and error, they mixed and crossbred four or five breeds in a successful effort to create a better cow dog. Charlie also completely changed how these dogs are worked and trained. The other thing Charlie’s known for is horse training.
Much like T. R. and many other people who succeed, Charlie Trayer is not going to immediately dazzle you with his charisma or gift of gab. When he’s in a room full of people, he’ll be one of the quietest. Maybe even the quietest unless I’m in that room. Here again is a man who does a lot of writing, authors books, does videos, and travels around the country doing some very interesting and informative seminars. After you get to know him, you realize he’s a very intelligent, sensible, humble, innovative guy. He’s got a ton of that commitment and perseverance I mentioned earlier. After many years of constantly and quietly working, those two guys have risen to the upper ranks of their chosen endeavors while finding and making many improvements along the way. I admire these two guys and respect them.
In the birddog sport, there’s my friend Delmar Smith from Oklahoma. He’s a man cut from a similar mold as my other two friends. Delmar is one super sharp cookie. Over the years he changed the way birddogs are trained. He’s a superstar. Yet he, like the other two fellows, is so nice and humble that if you aren’t careful, you would definitely underestimate him.
As I occasionally read printouts that come off this amazing gizmo called a computer—that some smart person invented after being assured that it would never work, and then I’m sure being told that no one would want the darn thing anyhow—it’s obvious there are some really sensible people in our game also. Of course, there are always those few who are shooting at any target. But there are many sensible people who want to learn and are also willing to share what they’ve learned. In the tree dog sport, we too have several people who may not be real noticeable but they are showing a strong commitment to learning and improving. They have the persistence and determination to see it through and make a difference. They may be twenty or eighty but every day they try to find a way to advance or help our sport and the many people who also want to do better. Let’s cheer them on. Let’s thank them. Let’s appreciate them.
If you’re struggling and not getting the results you desire, hang in there. We’ve all been there. The tie that binds all successful tree dog enthusiasts together is the perseverance and determination to stick with it. Read, learn, and listen to everything you can, and then think for yourself. The rewards and success will come.
Henry Ford said that a person becomes old when they think they know it all and stop trying to learn. It doesn’t matter if they’re twenty or eighty. The tree dog sport as a whole, and most of us as individuals, still have much more to learn. There’s a great deal we can each do to improve our sport and encourage all those folks around us who are struggling to succeed.
*In the coonhound magazines, I recently read a few things that I was super impressed with. One was an article in the March 2004 American Cooner by Muray Ragan starting on page 104 called No Dogs to Bark. I really enjoyed that. What a wonderful human interest story! Coonhound Bloodlines had several interesting pieces. Another is an article written by an Indiana conservation officer that appeared in a couple of our hound magazines. It’s terrific. It should give us all pause and cause for a little self-examination.
As a sport, we don’t have the best public image. That can only be because we haven’t given the public reasons to have a better image of us. That is improving gradually, but we’re starting from way behind, and we need to examine every possible way to do a better public relations job on our own behalf. Many of us, my self included, enjoy disappearing into the woods with a dog or two and pretending that the pressures of the world and the forces that would like to stop or destroy us don’t exist. But they do, and those of us who give a **** need to explore sensible and down-to-earth ways to shine a positive light on our sport and always represent it and ourselves in favorable ways.
Your thoughts, comments, and input are very welcome. Next time, in about two weeks, I’ll address that handful of people whose response to everything I ever write is the question, “Well, did Wick ever actually train a coon dog?”
Have a GREAT NIGHT! J. W.
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04-05-2004 09:29 PM
