“And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done. You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?”
- The Great Dr. Seuss
If you haven’t read Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss, you must. It’s so good, that I actually received two copies for graduation and I kept them both. Apparently I need to read them more often. I’ve been in a Dr. Seuss class slump. January’s hurry-up and wait chaos was wreaking havoc on my brain. I was grouchy and listfull. Plus, I was having a terrible time deciding whether it was worthwhile to haul a couple of hours to a horse show for two classes (budget/fitness dictated). Never before have I turned down a chance to show, but I seriously considered it.
Somehow I managed to set my alarm, drag myself out of bed, clean out the stalls and make sure the horses were fed. I loaded up the trailer, gave packing a lunch a quick thought, said good-bye to my husband, then the horse was caught. We headed down the road, still ambivalent in our cares, with cross-winds and fog, venturing out, we dared.
My slumpy mood followed us all the way to the show grounds. It wasn’t until after I opened the barn door and was greeted by a “Melinda!” from my coach that my feet began to quit dragging. It’s amazing what a cheery welcome can do for your mood. With wonderful weather, competitors from all over shed their blankets and came to play at the show. That made things move a bit slowly, but I didn’t care. I got to play catch up with old friends. I didn’t realize it at the time, but talking things out gave me the kick in the pants I needed.
I don’t want to spoil your read of Oh the Places You’ll Go by quoting the entire work, though it’s tempting. Let’s just say, in talking with friends I realized, I’ve been in “The Waiting Place.” It isn’t pretty. But somehow I found the motivation to get moving. The show was wonderful. We made some excellent strides of improvement and now confidence to continue those improvements on my own has returned. I’d love to take regular lessons again, but right now I’m in a place where I’ve got to be self-reliant. I don’t like it. It’s scary, but if I just keep going, Dr. Seuss promises “98 and ¾ percent guaranteed” we’ll make it through.
"You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!”
What about you? Are you where you want to be? Are you stuck in a Lurch; lost in a Slump; waiting, just waiting; playing a game you can’t win? Or are you moving mountains? Thanks, Dr. Seuss, for a Fresh Perspective and for un-slumping my behind!
My helmet cam’s taping. Time for some perks. My ground poles are waiting. My grid building in the works…
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