The sun had not yet risen but I was ready to go to the corn fields. For the past two summers, I have been pollinating corn. I never expected what would happen that particular day.

I reported to the office and jumped into the van with all the guys. Arriving, I was assigned my ranges and splashed through the mud to get to the corn. I kept my eyes on the ground so I would not fall in the mud and walked farther and farther until the voices of my co-workers began to fade.

When I turned around, I was indeed alone on the range. I knew that if I yelled someone would respond, but by yelling, I would be admitting I was lost. Being one of only five girls of 38 employees, I did not want to lose face and have the boys think I was just another girl who got lost in the corn.

Stubborn person I am, I tried to find my way back and started walking where I thought I had come from. All of a sudden, I saw someone from a different group. I just smiled and kept walking. Somehow I ended up right where I was supposed to be. Once I got there, one of my co-workers asked where I had been. I told him I had forgotten my stapler.

No one thought anything of it, but I made a point from then on to look around more than at the ground.