I make a list and I feel compelled. I do what’s on my list and I feel good. I cross off what’s on my list, and I feel virtuous. I then walk with my head up and my shoulders back and in alignment with my pelvis. My mind-body relationship then indicates that I am on top of the world. The sun comes out and angels descend from puffy clouds, and surround me. I hear sweet music, harps I think. What a fine place the word is, even during breakup when it’s still cold and overcast. Everyone, of course, then responds affirmatively to my gestures because I am physically and mentally now one with the universe.

Horses in clinic

Some time ago, I made a list and the top listing read: Contact Lisa. I did it because it was on my number one trip list. She then responded via email and said yes, come and visit her. Other trip lists followed. These were sub-lists of the original trip list.

My plan was to visit Lisa and do a horse/human body awareness workshop. I decided to do a PowerPoint Presentation in the morning and a do a body awareness workshop in the afternoon. I’d go with the PowerPoint presentation that I gave to the BCHA meeting attendees a month ago.

Four women were present for today’s morning presentation. It went well – the room, a living room was small, and lent itself to a more discussion-oriented session. In contrast, the setting for my first presentation was a large dog training arena. And so, there was little discussion. So, note to self, in the future give some thought to the presentation space and what I hope to achieve.

My original plan was to do a human body awareness session in the afternoon, with those attending in the morning being the participants. This plan fell flat on its face, into the mud. Ugh. Only one of the morning attendees was present, and the others were newcomers. They brought their horses along, and this turned out to be a complication. I first did some body awareness work with the group of six. This went okay, but not great. This was because the participants didn’t have a context for what we were doing.

After, things really fell apart. I had hoped to work with the attendees and their individual horses. But everyone then scattered, and began working with their own horses. At that point, I began making the best of things, just walking around and chatting with the horse owners. It all went okay – no one got hurt and maybe some learned something. If I could, I would have crawled under a rock.

I did learn some very important things. First, if I am to do this again, to charge people some money. Secondly, if I go further afield, have a clinic organizer who is willing to follow my objectives. New York – I both charged and had damn good organizers – and it went amazingly well. Thirdly, keep to my agenda and make sure others do the same.

Okay. Though discouraged, I should bring back to mind the feeling I felt when I wrote the words Contact Lisa on the list, which was again, a feeling of virtuosity. So, failure followed. I would not have learned anything had I not acted upon my initial impulse.

Next: 121.5/1/18: The ABC’s of Listing: W – Who, What, When, Where, Why