The essence of wisdom is to replace optimism with realism. The key to happiness is to replace pessimism with optimism. The key to survival is to simply persevere.
This week I got infused with a optimism and hopes for a better year coming. By now I ought to know better, but it was so good that I just could not help it.
Katie came out and rode with me. Katie as one of my first riders. She was the first kid to really throw her heart into what we were building. Once when we were riding around the Green Path she looked over to the mud and crooked fences and said, "One day this place is going to be famous."
At the time we had few horses. Her horse, Wounded Knee, is the Paint horse pictured above. Katie has succumbed to the greatest flaw that little girls have. She has grown up. Except for that she is as wonderful as ever.
Without a doubt no year of our program has brought me less pleasure than 2011. In fact, only one or two years of my life have been as sorry and empty as has this year.
But I have come to believe, perhaps foolishly, that this next year could be better. Before long Liam will be riding with me. The baby will start serious riding this summer. I expect that Beth will return to the saddle. Maybe this spring I will finally succeed in riding 100 miles in 24 hours.
Regardless, we will persevere. We have mastered perseverance.
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