How Real is "The Struggle"?

Oh, it's real, but it's not everything.

If you're a blogger, you'll know what I mean when I get to my point. If you're not a blogger, the following might come as a surprise.

The blogger you read and follow, whether it's me or somehow else, is more than what their blog reveals. I've said this many, many times; I am very honest. I don't hide the bad days or the low scores (plenty of those lately) or the moments that make me want to pull out my hair. 

Not a hair pulling moment.

What I don't always share are the great moments. I have plenty of them, but frankly, it's boring to only read about unicorns who poop rainbows. People want to see the train wrecks, the disasters, the carnage. It's much easier to connect with someone who struggles. Seeing other people go through your EXACT struggle gives you hope, especially when you read about a solution that worked.

Even my fifth grade students know that every story has to have a conflict. Conflict creates reader involvement. The better the conflict, the more engrossing the story. A narrative without a problem is just a dull series of events that no one wants to read. 

This again? I know, but it's SOOOOO great!

What all of this means is that you probably have a somewhat skewed idea of who I am really. I am what my blog reveals - intense, dedicated, driven, goal oriented, hard on myself, etc. What my blog might not reveal is that I am also pretty funny and very happy.

I ride with Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, because riding, showing, and teaching are her passion. That's true of a lot of trainers, but what makes Chemaine different is that she also needs it to be fun, really fun. During our lessons, you'll hear more laughter and F-bombs than anything else. Yes, we're working hard, but we're also enjoying the heck out of it.

You already know that I am pretty self-deprecating. I truly find everything funny, especially my own goof ups and mistakes. Life is just too danged hard not to find the humor in it. So when you hear me complain or whine or lament, remember that is only part of my story. Behind the scenes, I am laughing at the 2 I got for my last simple change and wondering how I can strap my butt in so I don't actually have to learn to sit the trot.

The struggle? Yeah, it's real, but it's also really, really funny.