StarHorsePax Fun

LIGHT OF AMERICA

When I think of America, of the USA, I think of a beautiful landscape.  The purple of the Shenandoah mountains, the magnificent sunrise.  The images of the Grand Canyon and the spray of water on rock.  I think of the museums with fabulous art and relics and paintings even on the ceiling.  I think of the White house.  I think of galloping wild horses and road trips and picnics.

I think of riding through Great Falls Park, VA in winter.  Snow all around, icicles hanging from trees and the creek rushing cold alongside.  The autumn leaves and crisp air and the joyous feeling of freedom when we canter.  I think of the freedom to go to the church on a Sunday and enjoy a pre holiday feast, free for all.

I think of people coming together to aid victims of natural disasters. Earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and even man made attacks like 911.  I think of heroes and courage of people who refuse to surrender to evil.  To those who throw themself into flames and into a hail of bullets to defend the rest of us.  I think of the witness on the stand who has the courage to say they will testify even when threatened by the villain.

DARK OF AMERICA

But there is the dark side of America too.   The side that loots the victims of the disasters, that fire bullets at the innocent so they can’t snatch money for a few drugs.  I think of people who need medicine and can’t afford it.  Corporations that gouge consumers and pollute the landscape. People take pets and turn them into fighting, killer dogs.  They take a well trained  horse and butcher it in the dark.  Others take an animal or child in only to allow it to go hungry while they spend money on booze or drugs or cigarettes.  They lobby politicians to make laws allowing them to desecrate the environment and disguise it as ‘necessary’.

It doesn’t always go dark in a moment.  Just as storms start with gathering gray, so does the slide into apathy and cruelty.  It’s hard to look around, struggling for money when the neighbor has a new big screen HD TV with surround sound and you are stuck with an old small one.  It’s even worse when you are struggling to get to work in an old car and the gas prices are through the stratosphere. Or maybe you do a lot of computer work and the old model just can’t keep up.  Easy to feel sorry for oneself.  Easy to overlook the fact that we are standing on a hill looking up at those with more, but if we move to the edge, we’ll see someone below struggling to come up to even what we’ve got.

CHOICES

We do have the freedom to choose.  It’s just hard to see the choice ...that maybe cheaper gas today will cost us more tomorrow, when the wild horses are gone and the land unfit for farm or ranching.  It’s hard for the struggling pregnant teen to realize that child she feels is a punishment is something someone else desperately wants and hasn’t been able to have.  And as for unwanted animals?  No such thing.  If everyone could have one who wanted it, there would be no problem.  Take away money, health and space issues and they’d all be adopted.  No question.

And then are the even more personal decisions: where a family member or friend doesn’t think something is wrong but you do.  Even worse, what if it’s an employer or commander? Someone who can fire you?  Or bring you up on charges for insubordination?

I remember a bit of American history.  In the war for Independance, our soldiers came home after winning our freedom from Britain.  Instead of a heroes welcome they found themselves thrown into prison and starving because they'd left their farms and homes to fight the war, and the Continental Congress had no money to pay them.  Angry (who wouldn't be?)   The people demanding repayment of debt knew those men were fighting a war and they benefited from the results.  They could've undone the whole thing by granting no leeway in the repaying of those debts.  The soldiers returned to  George Washington and offered to make him the King of America. The disaster was averted just because one Washington said NO!  He wasn't perfect, but he knew what he'd been fighting for.

HEROES

Memorial’s are for loved ones and heroes.  The most obvious are those who’ve gone to war and fought for our countries freedoms.  But everyone can be a hero.  It’s not just a question of defending freedom, it’s a question of how.  It’s a question of being free to make a choice and making the right one, the brave one, the hard one.  Sometimes there are no easy answers. One person’s freedom collides with someone else’s all the time.  

To me, there is nothing that quite gets one in the right frame of mind as a ride on a willing horse, rider and mount in agreement on their pace.  Walking along a tree lined trail, hearing the rushing water of a stream and watching the horse’s furry ears flick here and there.  The racing thoughts slow.  The hoofbeats are music to the ears. The body relaxes to the sway of the stride.  And suddenly green is for leaves and they seem more valuable than dollars, for dollars, while they can buy so much, can’t really buy peace and freedom.  You might be able to sell your freedoms away, but you can’t just buy them back.

Happy Memorial Day