I've been in denial. I mean, okay.. maybe I've got a touch of a Peter Pan complex. I don't think it's catchy. I just don't feel old. Mostly. I might say differantly first thing in the morning when I get out of bed......
When my mother was my age, I was 11. I can NOT imagine having children at all, much less an ELEVEN year old child. Nuts. That's insane. I'm not sure I'm fit to reproduce, much less be a live-in role model for some kid. The implications of that- mind boggling. Still, it hit me today... I was passing on stories of "the good old days". Ooohh.. just saying that sends shivers down my spine... The worst of it? In the midst of listening to myself relay these stories- real, every one of them- the "mature" side of me sat up, perked her ears, and said "WHAT? Say again?!"
Okay, okay, okay... I was maybe a titch wild in my late high school years until half-way through college. At the end of my college years, I got engaged and was more than ready to settle down. Or so I thought at the time. Of course, THAT is a subject for another time. Still, at that point.. I'd rather "been there and done that". From skinny-dipping in public (in the middle of the day!!? How did we NOT get caught??), to the variety of illegal shenanigans engaged in by myself and my roomies.. from the toga parties, to the wapatoola parties.. from the guys, in all shapes and especially, sizes.... to the.... did I mention the parties?
Ahhh.. yes. The 19 year old in me misses those times. The freedom. The "joie de vivre". The 31 year old me thinks- "where you freakin' nuts?! You're lucky you made it through!" I guess both points have merit. It's not that I don't still like (even need?) to get out and stretch my wings (so to speak) every now and then. I suppose the main differance now is that my tastes are more refined. I know what I like, and more importantly I know what to avoid. Wisdom- hard, but enjoyably earned- is the hallmark of aging. Another is that little voice that doesn't whisper any more, but instead, hollers, "What?! Are you crazy? Out of your mind? Don't EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!". That voice comes through loud and clear, and now, more often than not, I follow its advice. *sigh* I guess maybe I am getting old. :-P
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Unsocial Networking
Facebook. It's the "MySpace for 'old people'." Lately, I do feel old, but only because I remember what it was like to be the age of my best friend's oldest daughter... and at that age, I thought my own mother was OLD. Ancient even. Unfortunately, when I was that age, my mother was younger than I am now. Reconcile that. I'm having a hard time with it. Still.... that's a subject for another heading.
So, anyway, FACEBOOK. Yeah, I've joined the "social networking" throngs. I'll also admit, straight out, I'm addicted. They've got almost every game you could want to wile away the time with. Myself, I'm a huge fan of the interactive Horse Racing application. Great entertainment that I can partake of while simultaneously doing billing, answering email, uploading video or any one of the other millions of things that have to be done on the computer. Multi-tasking, amen.
There is an interesting fringe benefit to this "social networking" however, and that is....... I'll NEVER EVER EVER have to attend a class reunion. I've managed to catch up with anyone and everyone I may have ever been the slightest bit curious about since high school. (and, if I haven't caught up with them yet, there is a very good chance that I will before the next reunion) I've noticed that they are all married (or in the process of..), and have kids (or are in the process of). Apparently, divorced, I'm ahead of the curve. So I've caught up on even with my married "friends" without that awkward couple/non-couple-itis. SECOND, and most important.. I've now seen all their kids, without actually having to see their kids. Now, I don't have to tell anyone how cute their kid is, unless I mean it. Hallelujah.
So, anyway, FACEBOOK. Yeah, I've joined the "social networking" throngs. I'll also admit, straight out, I'm addicted. They've got almost every game you could want to wile away the time with. Myself, I'm a huge fan of the interactive Horse Racing application. Great entertainment that I can partake of while simultaneously doing billing, answering email, uploading video or any one of the other millions of things that have to be done on the computer. Multi-tasking, amen.
There is an interesting fringe benefit to this "social networking" however, and that is....... I'll NEVER EVER EVER have to attend a class reunion. I've managed to catch up with anyone and everyone I may have ever been the slightest bit curious about since high school. (and, if I haven't caught up with them yet, there is a very good chance that I will before the next reunion) I've noticed that they are all married (or in the process of..), and have kids (or are in the process of). Apparently, divorced, I'm ahead of the curve. So I've caught up on even with my married "friends" without that awkward couple/non-couple-itis. SECOND, and most important.. I've now seen all their kids, without actually having to see their kids. Now, I don't have to tell anyone how cute their kid is, unless I mean it. Hallelujah.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Resolutions
So.. here we are- 2009. Traditionally, on the New Years, people make a resolution to change something about themselves in the coming year. Then, on the second day they break it. No, just kidding. Sometimes they last a few days. We all know my resolution- I was swearing off cookies; at least for a little while. So far, so good. I've cut wwwaaaaaaayyy y back anyway. My actual resolution? I want to be more fit in the year 2009. I think that can only be to the good for my riding. I'm doing fair at it. A little more yoga. A little more pilates. A LOT more water.
Now we have Kenn, the traditionalist that he is; he did NOT make a resolution for 2009, so I made one for him. It seemed rather common of late that we'd been hearing a lot about how expensive horse showing is. How it's expensive and and people work to hard to afford it, to not have fun at it. Kenn, being the driven, focused person that he is, can become very competitive, and occasionally this rubs people the wrong way. So, my resolution for him fell into the realm of "customer service"- back off, and relax. They're doing this for fun. That resolution lasted a whopping total of 4 days.
No, he didn't go off on anyone. He didn't hound anyone for slacking. As a matter of fact, I was the one who released him from his promise. Now why would I do that??
Well, it was actually a Non-Pro that really cleared this grey area up for me. She put it so succinctly that I could find no arguement. She's completely, and totally right. She put it this way:
She works too hard to have the money to go to these shows (breed shows are expensive dammit!) to NOT go and try to win. She invests too much to shirk on her "homework"- her horse's training, her clothes, the trailer, the equipment, and mostly, the hours of practice. She spends too much time and money hauling to these shows to NOT push herself and her horses to be the best they can be, and to see just how far they can go together. That is the point. That is the reward. If she just wanted to have fun, she says, she'd go to Open shows. Not only are they cheaper, you usually stand a shot of winning back some money. In addition to less fiscal commitment, you don't need the time commitment. You can be a true weekend warrior at the Open shows. No need to scramble and juggle just to find time to practice during the week. Skip that, and just go show.
That's not to say that horses are her first priority. They are not. Her family is. She is very clear about this. Horses rank second on the list. But here's the thing: she's got a "list". She knows what her priorties are. In knowing, she's able to balance her time and finances in such a way that she's achieved a LOT of success in the horse world.
So maybe the thing to do in the new year isn't to make a resolution. Maybe it's time to take a deep look at ourselves- and assess our goals, priorities, and motivations. We can save ourselves a lot of time, money, and frustration just by showing at the appropriate level- talent AND commitment wise.
Now we have Kenn, the traditionalist that he is; he did NOT make a resolution for 2009, so I made one for him. It seemed rather common of late that we'd been hearing a lot about how expensive horse showing is. How it's expensive and and people work to hard to afford it, to not have fun at it. Kenn, being the driven, focused person that he is, can become very competitive, and occasionally this rubs people the wrong way. So, my resolution for him fell into the realm of "customer service"- back off, and relax. They're doing this for fun. That resolution lasted a whopping total of 4 days.
No, he didn't go off on anyone. He didn't hound anyone for slacking. As a matter of fact, I was the one who released him from his promise. Now why would I do that??
Well, it was actually a Non-Pro that really cleared this grey area up for me. She put it so succinctly that I could find no arguement. She's completely, and totally right. She put it this way:
She works too hard to have the money to go to these shows (breed shows are expensive dammit!) to NOT go and try to win. She invests too much to shirk on her "homework"- her horse's training, her clothes, the trailer, the equipment, and mostly, the hours of practice. She spends too much time and money hauling to these shows to NOT push herself and her horses to be the best they can be, and to see just how far they can go together. That is the point. That is the reward. If she just wanted to have fun, she says, she'd go to Open shows. Not only are they cheaper, you usually stand a shot of winning back some money. In addition to less fiscal commitment, you don't need the time commitment. You can be a true weekend warrior at the Open shows. No need to scramble and juggle just to find time to practice during the week. Skip that, and just go show.
That's not to say that horses are her first priority. They are not. Her family is. She is very clear about this. Horses rank second on the list. But here's the thing: she's got a "list". She knows what her priorties are. In knowing, she's able to balance her time and finances in such a way that she's achieved a LOT of success in the horse world.
So maybe the thing to do in the new year isn't to make a resolution. Maybe it's time to take a deep look at ourselves- and assess our goals, priorities, and motivations. We can save ourselves a lot of time, money, and frustration just by showing at the appropriate level- talent AND commitment wise.
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