Fast Winds, Slow Talk

There were high wind warnings Saturday but we thought that because we were heading south we would not be affected, so we loaded up our Haflinger and our cart and headed to Berlin, Ohio, in Amish country. We arrived at an Amish farm, home to one of the club members and harnessed up, our Haflinger's blond mane flying in the wind. Yes there was wind, especially since the farm set upon a very picturesque hillside in what is known as Little Switzerland.

The wind was fast, but the pace was slow as it always is in this community. There was time to tell stories in detail, time to talk about family and about horses. There was time to talk about farming and about weather. You see this is a place that is unplugged from TV, radio, cell phones, and that is partially what makes it so special and such a sanctuary for me.

Learning to move at a slower pace isn't easy and at first it can seem irritating. In the American culture quieting the mind is not especially valued or practiced. It's a skill that we are quickly losing, but along with it we are losing our mental and our physical health. Driving or riding through the countryside is an exercise in seeing the world at a slower pace, and of noticing beauty we often miss when we are going too fast to see.

I hope that you are able to quiet your mind on a regular basis and the best way to do this is with the help of horses.

Peace, Kathy, Horsedrivensite.net