"He stood there and did what I asked him. If you can have that sort of communication, all the big parades and the big accolades we've had as gendarme can't compare to that because that was when the chips were really down. I asked him to do something and he said, righto, I'll do that. And that's what he did."
For those of you who wonder how intelligent horses really are, click on the link to read this story of a retired police horse who saved the smaller animals in his pasture from the vicious fires in Victoria, Australia.
Several studies have shown that horses are capable of reasoning and problem solving (as anyone who's ever tried to keep an equine escape artist in his stall will testify). But even so, Paddy's something special.
In case you haven't noticed, I've been blogging a bit less recently. It started when I was in Las Vegas for the 2009 Dressage World Cup, but I haven't really got back into a rhythm since I got back. Now I have more time to blog, but of course I keep finding excuses not to. Why do we do that? Or is it just me?
I've always envied people who twirl through life with an endless supply of organized efficiency. I, on the other hand, stagger from one thing to another while a little voice in my head tells me I should be doing it differently, faster, better. It's not that I'm not organized. I am. Anal, even. Years as a database programmer have left me with an inordinate affection for labeling, sorting and categorizing. I can't stand to see a bookshelf that's un-alphabetized and I've been known to offer to help people move as long as they let me organize their CDs afterwards. It's a sickness.
So why is it that I've unable to organize my activity as well as I do my stuff? If I'm supposed to be finishing a scrapbook, I'll invariably find some web research that HAS to be done. But if I'm supposed to be doing web research? Well, that scrapbook suddenly looks SO enticing! I usually make my deadlines, but there's always a certain amount of sweat and panic involved.
Maybe I'm just getting more ornery in my old age. I've never liked being told what to do; apparently, this applies even when I'M the one doing the telling. I now have to treat myself like a little kid: "If you finish this project, you can play with that website for an hour." Of course, after a couple of hours on the project, my inner child has a meltdown and screams "I'll play with the website if I want to and YOU CAN'T STOP ME."
Is it just me, or does everyone want to slap their inner child?
Anyway, the point of all this rambling is that I really, really, REALLY will blog more often. I promise. No matter what it takes. Thank goodness there's no law against inner child abuse.
If you've already seen the T-Mobile ads making rounds from youtube, you can stop reading now. Or keep going, if you want to bring a smile and a little inspiration to your day.
The slogan behind the latest campaign is "Life's for Sharing." To that end, T-Mobile came up with the brilliant idea of taking over Liverpool Street Station during morning rush hour, and momentarily taking people out of the routine of the morning commute.
Take a look:
I LOVE this idea! Granted, it's a product commercial. But where's the harm in that, if it also brings a smile to the faces of everyone watching. Here are some of the reactions from the commuters:
I used to take the train to Liverpool Street Station each morning when I lived in London. It's a massive station along the lines of Grand Central. People mostly walk straight ahead with their heads down, barely making eye contact with the other commuters. To see everyone break out of their bubbles and start nodding their heads and wiggling their hips to the music really brings tears to my eyes. It's a reminder of what's really important in life.
During my brief stint at drama school in the 1980s (before real life called and told me in no uncertain terms to go and get a job and earn some money), my friends and I performed a similar stunt. We all went to the nearest tube station and got on a train. Each of us then got off at a different stop and waited for the next train. When it arrived, each person got on and slowly moved through the carriages "accidentally" meeting up with long-lost friends. Each reunion was more enthusiastic than the last, culminating with us all singing "We'll Meet Again" before finally getting off and going for coffee and self-congratulation.
Don't ask me why a group of 16-yr olds thought that converging on a tube carriage and singing World War II songs was a good idea. There weren't even any drugs involved; just the natural high of being young and "different" and surrounded by a group of similar kids. Regardless, it brought a smile to the faces of the other people on the train. Actually, looking back it was probably more of a smirk, but we were young and couldn't really tell the difference. :)
The T-Mobile stunt was so popular that they did them all over the country. So many people wanted to be involved that they advertised the time and location of the next stunt. Here's an ad warning of a stunt in Trafalgar Square in London:
Keep in mind that no one knew exactly what was planned, but after seeing the fun at Liverpool Street Station, 13,500 people showed up. Isn't that amazing? 13,500 people showed up just in case they'd have fun. And by all accounts, they did.
(And yes, that's Pink hidden in the middle of the crowd, singing along.)
I have a lot of musician friends and we sometimes get together to sing and play. It doesn't matter if you're the best singer in the world or can barely hold a tune, it's impossible to feel down when you're singing with a group of other people. There's something magical that happens when people make music together. I don't know why, but it draws you together in a way that watching a play or a movie just doesn't.
So if you're feeling a bit down, grab a bunch of friends and make some music. If you can't play an instrument, blast a song from iTunes and sing along. I guarantee you'll have fun, be silly, and knock years off your life.
