Trade Shows, Gimmes, and Life

It has been a long day/week! Three days of Trade Show (Farm Show) in Kansas and I'm finally back home. The weather was beautiful, the crowds were sparse -- the farmers were using the good weather to get some farming done.

There was some new technology at the show, but nothing particularly caught my eye in the farm equipment. However, Toyota was there in force showing off their new vehicles. They had a quarter mile dirt track set up with moguls, hills, and mud in which you could try out their pickups. They had purchased a brand new Chevy pickup comparable to theirs and would let you try out and compare both. I think they won hands down. I expect to see a lot more of the full-sized Toyota pickups on the highway in the coming years.

I love watching the people at trade shows. There are those who are on a mission -- looking for something in particular. They are easy to spot because of the way they walk. There are the serious lookers that are there for information but they're probably not ready to buy. There are the curious -- generally not in the industry but out to see what the fuss is about. There are other vendors who check out the competition and visit with old friends from previous jobs or years of attending the same shows. And my favorites -- the people that have no business being there but are carrying bags and bags of "gimmes" that they have gleaned from every vendor in the place.

I guess life in general can be a lot like the trade show attendees. There are those who are on a mission. There is purpose in their life and they are focused on accomplishing that mission. There are those who are good solid citizens that sort of drift on through. They are never sure of where they are going, but they are engaged at some level. They are rarely leaders, but are usually productive. There are the curious. They're just "here for the beer." They don't know where they're going, or why they are going there. They just draw their paycheck so they can sit in front of the TV and drink beer and cuss the rest of the world. I'm not sure what the best comparison group is to the vendors, however, I'm sure that some of you readers could supply that if you want to comment. And then there are the leeches; those with the welfare mentality that are always looking for a handout and complaining when it isn't there.

It's good to be home.