Seed Swap, thoughts on leadership

Well, the seed swap is gaining momentum!
A local ISU Extension gal, Laura, is on board and helping a lot with getting the word out.
I've got fliers up around town, some hand delivered invites out to gardeners I know in my neighborhood, and emails out to all the local gardening groups I'm aware of. I went to the Garden Club meeting last night to extend an invitation to their members personally. Whew! Now all I can do is get my seeds in order and see who shows up.

As I was talking with Laura this past weekend, I realized that even though I don't consider myself an expert or a leader for seed saving and gardening, I keep putting myself in positions so that others see me in that light. As I realized this, my mind drifted back to my first forays into leadership positions. I was in Jr. High, myself and a dozen others had been chosen for a leadership group, the main purpose it seemed was to plan the Red Ribbon Week dance. I remember thinking at the time, what does this have to do with leadership? Why don't they just call us the dance planning committee? This repeated many time through High School, and into college, where again it seemed like for all the meetings and bills written, the main things I did revolved around planning events and organizing meetings.

Is that all leadership is? Knowing how to coordinate a group of people with a desired event? Setting up tables and chairs? Getting the word out so people attend? Sure, part of it is picking the battles to fight. I know I have no chance of convincing local farmers to stop feed lots or monocropping. I know I have little chance of convincing everybody in my town to grow and store food. But, the other side of that coin is that I know there are battles that can be fought and perhaps I can help with those. The arena of seed saving and local gardening is one that I'm familiar with, even if I don't consider myself an expert. So, I organize these events, all the while thinking it's no big deal, I'm not one of those leaders. Little by little though, I'm starting to realize I am one of those leaders.

Maybe just by default. :-) Certainly not by myself. But, a leader none the less. I think I'm ok with that.