Journal Day 2

This week’s prompt:

We all have songs that really mean something to us. Often just hearing it can take us right back to that place and we are able to re-experience the memory associated with the song. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, but either way music has the ability to really draw things out of us and evoke deep emotion. Choose a song that has a particular meaning to you. Tell the story of the memory associated with the song, sharing as much detail as you can. Take us there; let us experience it with you.

Hm. At first I thought of our wedding song…Harry Connick Jr singing It Had to Be You.

[edit: I totally got our wedding song wrong. #wifefail #goodcatchmerfman]

But I sort of went down relationship road last week…

So. Something different!

From ages 12 – 23 I trained and showed horses all over the US. I would spend most of my evenings, weekends and entire summers riding and showing. I have so many memories of long drives, late nights, very early mornings and so much sweat and make up mixed with arena dust. I credit those as some of the most formative years of my life. I literally grew up showing. It taught me so much about being strong and humble and tough and dedicated.

My Sophomore year of college at UC Riverside I was living with my trainer and her family. On the days I had afternoon classes I would wake up, help around the ranch and ride before showering and heading to school. I was balancing life as a college student with the daily activity of a ranch.

That summer I was alone on the ranch for a week or two, while everyone else was back in Tennessee for a big show. Most of the horses were gone showing, but there were still several boarded horses and babies in training. Each morning and evening I had to feed, and clean all the stalls. In the afternoons I would ride or turn horses out for exercise.

Every few days the outdoor pens needed to be cleaned. I would grab my iPod, headphones, the muck-cart with the one flat tire and 2×4 handle, a fork and head to the stalls. I would try to wait until after 3pm when the Santa Ana breeze would be coming through and the relentless Riverside sun would feel slightly less intense.

I was super into Yellowcard that summer. Specifically the “Ocean Avenue” album and song. 

“Ocean Avenue”