Slight Detour: Fridy Musings

It was pretty neat to see a Sandpoint connection on last night's ABC Oprah special about Artificial Intelligence.

I'm still not sure that I get the entire concept of AI, but I do understand it a little more.

The main focus of the special seemed to be that it's here, it can be both good and bad and that we need to get our arms around it in hopes of controlling its potential dark side.

At the end of the special, Sandpoint native and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marilynne Robinson expressed caution about AI in the hands of the wrong individuals.

She also expressed hope that AI would not get in the way of gifted writers to continue penning their own brilliant and original thoughts.

I felt a deep sense of pride hearing Marilynne Robinson speak last night, not only because I got to meet her a few years ago but also because she is a Sandpoint native who has distinguished herself at such a high level.

Her thoughts and the ease with which she spoke them did not disappoint.

Marilynne Robinson came to Sandpoint a few years ago at the invitation of Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville.

Her purpose at the Panida that night not only served as an official launch for the Reclaim Idaho organization that has offered voters two statewide initiatives was to remind the audience of the importance of public education.

Yours truly, Luke Mayville, Lost Horse Press owner Christine Holbert, author Marilynne Robinson and local advocate Nancy Gerth. We were privileged to take Marilynne to dinner at Hope's floating restaurant.

In short, watching Marilynne Robinson speak last night on the Oprah special was definitely one of those "from Sandpoint and we couldn't be any prouder" moments.

Another "from Sandpoint and we couldn't be any prouder" moment happened in Ohio yesterday. Sister Laurie and her horse Pache earned yet another national award.

I have thought about my mother several times this week.

She would be so proud to know that, more than a decade after her passing, her descendants have continued to guide their own lives with a little help from Mother's ever-present spirit.

Yesterday my sister Laurie and her horse Pache took another big prize at the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals.

They won a Reserve National Championship, as my sister Barbara describes:

They did it again!

In a large class of Half-Arabian Western Dressage ATR Basic, Laurie and Pache (Ravenwood Hot Stuff) just won the Reserve National Championship at the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals held at the WEC in Ohio!

Huge Congrats Team Pache! Next and Last class will be Saturday morning before starting their long trek home.

In our family, we often chuckle about but truly believe in our unique list of famous sayings uttered by my mother.

Laurie can tell you at any given moment the life-defining story about when Mother suggested to her that she was a "quitter." Let's just say she was pretty emphatic too.

I'm sure every time Laurie ever embarks on a mission that word and the way our mother said it reverberates in her mind, always keeping her on course.

The term has even crossed a boundary of family separation too. This week while posting about a tough day on her 500-mile Camino, Laurie's niece/our daughter expressed disappointment about some incidents she had experienced and about her general assessment of this Camino compared to the first time she walked the route.

So, I sent Annie a little cheerleader-oriented note, mentioning that she reminded me so much of "Grandma" whose grit and determination throughout virtually every aspect of her being stood as an example for us kids as we pursued our own lives.

Annie wrote back saying, "Part of why I won’t just quit is because I know Grandma wouldn’t want me to."

I often think about how fortunate we all are to have had our mother/grandmother in our lives.

She definitely had her moments with each of us, but overall, she was one strong and brilliant woman.

The beauty is that her influence is still making a difference.

Events this week have clearly illustrated that her spirit is alive and well in each of us.

Great things happen when ya don't allow yourself to be a quitter.