Jumping the Shy

A shy is a structure that fans out from both sides of a horse jump so the horse funnels into the jump and, well, jumps, instead of shying to the side.

I was 9 when I competed in my first and penultimate horse show. Highboy, my mount, was blind in one eye and I was a rank amateur in competition. Dad said I got confused and turned the reins such that Highboy's blind eye was toward the jump. In any case we ended up jumping the shy which was higher than the jump set.  This has morphed into a metaphor, more or less, for what has come later in life. Never straight forward but off to the side yet on the high side. 

I don't mean to say this was any sort of plan because it was not. But it was how I continued from here to there and how, eventually, I met Jim in New Orleans in 1971. I was sidling further into politics after working with SDS (Students for Democratic Society) at LSU in Baton Rouge. I went with a friend to a lecture in New Oeleans on Marxist economics and I confess I was smitten by the lecturer ... by Jim; the economics bit remained a mystery.

There was no shying after that. We twain fell utterly and irretrievably into love forever unto this day.

When you don't have a choice, you do the best you can. My life now with Jim emphasizes all that I am worst at and little that I am best at so I fail most days in many ways. Yet I fail never in loving Jim because I am very good at that.