Reconnecting and SuperBetter

Health. In February I met up with N and M at Lionsdale Winter Tourney. It had been seven years since I had spent any time with either of them. Just the warmth and hope with which these women surrounded me was amazing, and made me feel as though no time had passed and that I was loved and cared about in ways I so rarely consider. We met again with a day long visit to the stable where M keeps her two horses, where N tried them out and after an almost abortive fall, I slung a leg over the big Percheron mare and rode, for the first time in six years. There are no words for how wonderful it felt. Then I taught a brief riding lesson for my youngest son, who fell off twice but got back on both times, making me very proud of him. Over dinner, M wrangled us both into agreeing to help with an effort to get Equestrian started in Lionsdale again. Fast forward a month, and my little sister brings me out to her friend's farm, where she had had one unsuccessful ride (meaning she fell and didn't care to get back on again soon). They tack up their horses and I watched her work the big mare on the ground then under saddle. Her friend L was noticeably distracted and inattentive, and J did most of the work with her horse. A brief lesson, and I found the old eyes and rhythm of instructing coming right back. I even threw a leg over and got some semblance of collection from the big mare, and that was exhilarating. I started coming out every two weeks with Songbird to teach and sometimes ride. I get to know the owner and the horses and realise how little correct guidance has occurred to this point, so the next chance I get, I introduce N to D, the owner of the farm. They hit it off better than anyone could have hoped, and N moved her big mare up to the farm, so she could get started teaching again. Plans move ahead for the events upcoming, starting with teaching Basic Horsemanship at EMP events on the farm, and then branching out to teaching lessons during SeaLion War, and then the big success of Lionsdale Champions which had about 20 people take lessons or watch the equestrian activities, out of the 70 who attended. By this time I am going out at the farm at least twice a week, sometimes three times, I am teaching and riding and reconnecting with all the things I love about the sport and finding it is coming so much easier. I am finding I can walk for longer distances with less worry and pain, I am trusting my body more, and after a few lessons on Bella, N's Shire, I am remembering I am only 42, and I don't have to let go of all my dreams. In fact, I don't have to let go of *any* of them. Horses always were therapy for me, and I had somehow let go of that. Never again. I am now looking forward to learning from other coaches, developing my own skills and maybe even attaining some of those pie-in-the-sky dreams. I just spent a week at M's, my first real vacation since I worked with C at Griffonwood, back in 04 and 05. Activity on FB led to a friend posting a link to Jane McGonigal's TED talk on how to turn the healing process into a game, which she called SuperBetter, and established a site to facilitate other people learning the techniques and playing along, finding their own paths to happier, healthier lives. The logic of her ideas, and the very real benefits I had found from my own pursuits of happiness and beauty rang so true to me, so I am doing my best to use her site and her ideas in my daily life. Here's to getting SuperBetter. One of the tasks I have to work on is reconnecting with old friends. L, Z, and newer friends are seeing more of me and hearing more from me, and I am rediscovering how enjoyable it is to just get out of the house and hang out with friends. It is a long road back to health, but I am not dying tomorrow. Knock wood.