THUMP . You look back and see your horse knocked down two elements of the trail walkover obstacle in your pre-class warmup. You’d carefully set and measured the distance for success only to have your horse dismantle it… again. Do you dismount, rebuild and squeeze in a retry before your number’s called or leave it down and just hope for the best?
No mounting block….tailored chaps….might be safer to stay on board…
It’s a picture of our walk through this pandemic. A yearlong series of one hurdle after another. Plans built, dismantled and “re-mantled”.
Looking back at our own paths through the obstacles- have we learned anything?
- Is there anything broken that could be rebuilt; stronger, with wisdom gained and a new appreciation?
A business. A cancelled opportunity. Hospitality. Volunteering. Spontaneous conversations – the kind that happen in the horse show coffee lineup. Or watching your kid’s soccer game. Or in the church lobby.
I’m re-mantling appreciation for the things taken for granted – particularly the gift and dignity of work. - Is there anything knocked down this year that it could be left down?
An over- scheduled show season? With more time in between competitions, riders are preparing more thoroughly, enjoying the process (not just the result), and anticipating the next horse show.
The illusion of self-sufficiency. That I am fine without others. Without God. Our pre-existing condition of isolation and anxiety has been made worse in the loneliness of lock downs. Screens are no substitute for “fellowship”.
We’re designed for community. Building with others, something bigger than ourselves.
“Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the foundations laid long ago; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Homes”.
A passage from the Bible, 550 BC . After years as Babylon’s captives, the Jewish people were permitted to return to their homeland and painstakingly rebuild the ruins of their city and homes.