Thursday, April 06, 2023

Cleaning, Learning, Loving






 



Yesterday, a good and respected friend commented on a photo he had taken of a heron in flight. 

"Lucky bird," he noted after lamenting that with all the disarray and disfunction going on in this world, he'd like to fly away just like the bird. 

How many of us have experienced similar thoughts on days when it seems that every detail floating in from the world outside our homes points to hysteria, lunacy and circuslike craziness from too many currently influential people who should know better.  

How many times have we each tried to deflect this distasteful and disheartening reality by threatening to escape somewhere, anywhere or to hide ourselves within protective cocoon where we don't need to hear about that reality?

Discouraging? Yes, as well as that temptation to take action to flee.  

But could we ever truly escape like that heron in flight?

Probably not. 

And, so, as we wade through the morass of a world seemingly upside down, we must leap upon the occasional moments that remind us of that world we all so desire. 

They do exist.  Yesterday's visit from Marlo, her mom and her grandma was one such distraction from the craziness. 

Marlo and CB have continued to bond over the past five-plus years.  Their connection occurs maybe once a year, maybe even twice this year. 

Yesterday, on Marlo's 13th birthday, I witnessed some beautiful moments between that adorable CB and the ever maturing young lady who helped name him when he was a baby.

There was brushing and combing and guidance from Mom.  Plus, there was some specific learning about remaining safe around horses and how to brush and lead, etc. 

I witnessed many loving and satisfied expressions from both horse and humans. 

CB loved his personal attention. 

Marlo and Heather loved their time spent grooming.

Observers of this special time loved the connections. 

Yes, it was a moment where all involved took a break from external craziness and simply enjoyed the precious time with the young lady and the handsome horse. 

~~~

I also spent a brief period yesterday with two ladies at the top of their game.  

Out of respect to them and their important work, I'll simply generalize that observing their professionalism during this short visit assured me that people still work really hard to do the right thing these days.

Integrity and truth are still important in some very important aspects of our society. 

Twas nice to hear from the figurative horses' mouths that we can still have some confidence in the institutions of our society. 

May not seem like it pretty much every day, but professionalism and respect for the public good are both being practiced. 

Finally, readers may remember that I've reported in a few blog posts about the frustration I've encountered of late with Internet transactions and commerce. 

Last night, after finding the right place to go, I was able to resolve a huge issue that landed in our faces earlier this week. 

Bill and I discovered that both of us had been paying for Amazon Prime, for years on separate bank cards. 

The fact that Bill never uses Amazon Prime and that he happened to mention to me that he had been paying through his credit card opened an uncomfortable can of worms. 

How did this happen?  

We still aren't quite sure, but when I found the avenue to discuss this with a human who could do something about it, I saw almost instant results along with a huge apology.  

Within the next week or so, Bill will be reimbursed for 27 months of paying a prime monthly payment.

Ten minutes.  That's all it took. 

I wanted to jump into the Internet and hug that person, as opposed to many other situations where I've been frustrated enough to scream and pound on my desk. 

And, so experiencing all of the above in one day, I'm not exactly ready to turn into a heron and fly away from the insanity. 

Close but still reassured enough to keep clawing my way through the web of ugliness and despicable human behavior that seems to permeate virtually every day. 

I hope and pray that when Marlo reaches adulthood the pendulum which has swung so far out there from a "perfect world" will find its way back some reasonable moderation. 

For now, time spent with a horse, some amazing professionals and an unknown customer service representative sitting at a computer have given me some reassurance. 

It's the little things, they say, and happily, they added up yesterday to make it a good day. 

And, to my friend who wants to fly with the herons, stick with it buddy.  We need you and your wisdom and your beautiful photography.  

We're all in this together, and somehow the good stars will line up, and it will get better. 

Happy Thursday. 
  
















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