...But the drama. Oh man. You'd think it was a mini highschool. There are major cliques and groups, and people that don't like each other, the whole thing. It's fascinating to watch grown women read too much into why someone didn't put the cones back EXACTLY where they had found them, or how many shavings someone put in their stall vs someone else's stall. I love people watching, and binge watching a great drama, so this perfectly combines the two. I mostly keep my head down, and do my own thing - it's my happy place, I don't need to worry about anything but playing with horses and breathing in fresh air out there.
A few months ago a new woman starting boarding her horse at the barn. We'll call her Ginny. Mostly because her name is Ginny, but also because her horse's name is Jack, and I think the names Ginny and Jack sound cute together. She was a little odd at first - I would say hi to her, or ask her how its going, and she wouldn't reply. Like at all. Zippo. Sometimes she say, "good" when I asked her how she's doing, but not a chance she would return the question to me, or comment on the weather. Nothing. Maybe this was just a new barn dynamic? Maybe she just doesn't like small talk? Or did I unknowingly offend her in some way?
As she settled in to her routine out at the barn, our schedules overlapped a lot. She's out there every weeknight at 5:30 sharp, and I am usually there around that time as well. Zinc's stall is right across from Jack's so we had to figure this awkward dynamic out. I couldn't be out there in silence every night thinking she hated me - or worse yet, my horse! LOL. So every night I made it my mission to say hi and engage with her in some way. Comment on how her horse is adjusting to his new home, ask her why she feeds the grain she does, or how long she's been working with Jack, etc. She would answer the questions, to the point. No embellishments. But she didn't seem to hate me, so I made it my mission to connect with her in some way, and kept plugging away at it. Fast forward a few months, and now, I might even call us friends. Barn Friends at the very least. :) We have long conversations (about horses - I literally know nothing else about Ginny...we only talk about horses, and anything to do with horses), and she even says "hi" when she sees me and waves! It's a BIG deal!! She's super sweet, and VERY interesting. And, she knows a TON, and is incredibly helpful.
Last week, as we were talking, she invited me to this riding group she's a part of. WHAT?!? It made my day! I went from thinking she wanted nothing to do with me, chipped away at her with little bits of kindness, and now she's asking me to do things with her! Now when I hear Ginny's truck pulling up, not only do I know its exactly 5:30, but I get excited to talk to her. Maybe she's just quiet at first, or maybe she's shy, or maybe she knows after all of her years of experience to keep to herself in barns to avoid any drama, but I'm so glad she opened up to me, and now we can be barn friends! I am also glad I gave her a chance, and didn't just accept my first impression of her as how it was. It would have been easier to just let it go at first, but not nearly as rewarding. 
Here's a pic of the sunset from tonight because it was incredible, and I want it to put a smile on everyone's face like it did for me. :)
Signed, ME {AT}
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