Things to Do instead of Writing on My Play

Today has a good distraction, The Kentucky Derby. I'm getting a little tired of the interviews with the trainers and jockeys, however. What is this parade of folks around the track. I would like to say I enjoy the ladies' hats but after a while some of them look like bird houses or Mardi Gras costumes. I like the retire principal who takes care of his own horse. I guess I should have been listening better to find out where everyone is walking.

I have always been a horse fan; even as a young girl I read all the "Black Stallion" books. I rode horse occasionally on the family farm but after my fall in the 4th grade I took a very long break from riding horses again. I rode in Macon the summer of 1974 after Thomas was born. Then when we moved to Dunwoody, and I continued riding that fall and winter. David rode with me. We were both getting pretty good riding in the ring. I learned to trot, gallop, cantor, walk, get on and off a horse. I rode English saddle rather than Western. At first I was afraid I'd fall off with English, but after a while I preferred it to Western.

After David fell off the horse and I got scared myself of jumping fences, we quit riding. I resigned my horseback riding career, except for occasionally dressing up like a jockey for Halloween with my hard hat and boots. Now when I remember, I watch the Kentucky Derby and that is about as far as my horseback riding career and love of horses go these days. Now, I'd be afraid to ride as it would be too devastating at 66 if I did fall off the horse.

The mother of a recent student rides horses. She is quite an equestrian, has her own horses that she boards and rides. I've another friend I know from the film industry who also works with horses in some sort of riding camp in the mountains. There are no longer any horses on our farm in Missouri. I do recall as I write that about the same time David was riding horses when he was five and six he drew horses everyday. They actually got better as he drew another horse everyday. I wonder why he didn't become a visual artist. I wonder if it's because I made a suggestion for his painting of Snoopy and Charlie Brown that he understood as criticism. He totally quit painting with that painting.

I hope this has been an enjoyable diversion to writing Scene 2 of my play. I did tell myself early this morning when I was barely awake that I could write this play and never produce it in my lifetime. That way, I have more freedom to write what I really want to say. If I think of it on stage anywhere I start eliminating scenes until there is no play at all.

Okay, I hereby give myself and all playwrights everywhere permission to write and not be censored. Now if I can practice what I preach with the people in my life as well as my own creative spirit.