home

Home > Dispatches > Daily Dispatches 2017 >Daily Dispatch #285

October 15, 2017: Being Brave

I am not going to be judgmental about those who do not give a rat’s ass about their posture or have chosen to adopt a more sedentary lifestyle. This is their choice, and they are entitled to do as they please. I’m exploring alternatives because I want to again be limber, and stay limber. This is my choice.

That said, tonight I went to an Alaska Icelandic Horse Association meeting – one in which there were several horseback riders in attendance. The majority spent the evening seated in chairs, around a table. They were slumped in various ways. This was a total of at least two hours of their day.




Me, I stood behind the kitchen counter the entire time and I did some stretching a great deal of moving around. I had been on my feet all day long, so I was, admittedly, a bit tired. I stood yesterday evening and I felt good today. And I stood this evening and will undoubtedly feel good tomorrow.

There is an equally significant part of my story. There were a few people at this meeting who do not like me. I knew they would be there and would not greet me with open arms. In fact, they did not greet me at all. One in particular was stone faced. Another sat with his shoulders slumped and his hands clasped tightly together. And yet another responded to a text message when I spoke.

In the past, I would have taken to a chair and made myself very small, so that I would not be seen. This time I stood tall and made myself big. I was able to do this because beforehand I envisioned myself in various power poses – and further envisioned myself being cool, calm, collected, composed. This was not easy – I felt intermittently anxious beforehand. I did feel a bit anxious in the presence of these individuals. But I did not feel this to the degree that I had to leave the room.

These individuals did not talk to me the entire evening. One did offer me a chair, but I said that I no longer sit down. I wish that he had asked me to elaborate – I would have told him that his wife was the one who told me about Amy Cuddy and Kate Bowman’s books. This is the ultimate irony.

I very much want the club to have Steinar, the Icelandic horse trainer, do a one day Intrinzen Clinic. This is because he too has a strong interest in the horse/human mind/body/spirit connection.

I am always looking ahead, to see what it is that I have coming up, so that I might dread it. It is not easy for me to rise to the occasion, but this is what I am starting to do. Baby steps, baby steps. I don’t have anything going on for the next few days, and so I will have time to think about tonight and how it went. Lucky me, I think.

Next: 286. 10/16/17: Preparing for Winter

Horse Care Home About Us Dispatches Trips Alys's Articles