Friday, August 6, 2010

Aggravation

When I was a kid we had a board game called Aggravation. It was something of a rip off of Parchessi. You started out with your four marbles in the start row. You could get a marble out and start it around the board when you rolled a six. If another player landed on you, then you started over. The goal was to get all four of your marbles around the board and into "home".

My mom was a cut throat game player. She said things like, " it would build character." Mostly, it just built someone who hates games. I remember the delight on her face as she would land on my marble and I would have to start it over again. If I would get upset, she would just say, "THAT'S the point of the game."

Well, I don't know if it built any character, but I do know how to start over... and start over.... and start over. So as Mac makes preparations to begin a new school year, I will make a fresh start here on the little farm. I will have some time to myself. Time for clarity of thought and purpose. Time with the horses. Time to fill in that big hole in the road.

We begin again. Today will be cleaning out the water trough. Mending a fence and some undemanding time. Referred to as UDT, undemanding time is time just hanging with your horse. It makes for a calm horse, but not everybody seems to be able to do it. Some people just get downright twitchy. Then it doesn't make for a calm horse.

Personally, I really like undemanding time. I relax. Pip tries to figure out my boots. Sometimes she just closes her eyes and goes to sleep. The best part might be that she never once wanted me to play a board game with her. For that, I will always be grateful.

louie

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