Leave The Horse Alone
For decades I have heard the adage “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” Being the stalwart German that I am there is no way I won’t get the horse to drink when I want him to or when.
Yesterday a light bulb went off via the wise words of someone that I taught some of the life’s lessons that he lives by: my son. It was as if Kevin was taking me by the ear and sitting me down for “the talk.” “Mom, if you get the horse to drink when you want you are getting what you want with no regard for what the horse wants. The horse has to feel he is in control and it was his idea not yours.” Humph. “Everyone needs to know that they are allowed to have a treat and the treat is different for everyone.” The whole while during this conversation the horse was silent.
Don’t ya just hate it when the youth comes up with the real deal on sound advice? At this stage of the story the identity of the innocent need not be protected any longer. I am here to tell you Dennis, aka: the horse, I will stop pushing your head under water and trying to make you drink. Your time, your treat and you and I will contend with the consequences if and when they occur. Let’s just give this one — and I repeat one score — to the younger generation. This does not bode well for my credibility.