Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

This week it rained. Most people I know love the rain. I did too, until I started riding. We don't have indoor arenas, so when it rains, we don't ride.

I always hear kids at my school talking about how happy they are when volleyball gets canceled, or they don't have to go to soccer practice. Or how they're so glad that the season is almost over. I'm the exact opposite when it comes to riding. There is never a day when I don't look forward to going to the barn, to riding my horse. When I don't get to ride for a while, I usually get grumpy, irritable. Riding is my passion.

When I'm sitting on my horse, I get to forget about everything else. How much homework I have, the test tomorrow, everything. I am completely in the moment, thinking of nothing but the task at hand, whether it be riding a good leg-yield or improving our trot-canter transitions. For one hour every day I get to escape from the usual hustle and bustle of life.

I'm very lucky to have a passion like that. So many of my friends play a sport or an instrument because their parents make them, but don't really enjoy it. Or maybe they like whatever they do, but not many love it. Even I used to try a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I played soccer and volleyball. When I was very young I did ballet. A little later I took up the violin, and then the piano. I had fun doing most of these things, but eventually I'd get tired of them. A couple of years ago I decided to quit everything else and devote myself entirely to riding. I have never gotten tired of it, and plan to ride for the rest of my life.