Things That Impact Your Life

July 01, 2020

Things That Impact Your Life

I love this picture of a team of horses working together to get a job done.  Not a matching team, yet the significance is that they were united in their goal.  Differences made them stronger, but an equal yoke was paramount.  Work was empowered with purpose.  

The Binder tied the oats together, just like a Dad binds a family together. Everyone has a purpose; everyone is needed to make the whole family complete. That’s how it works!  Nobody is insignificant, big or small.  I couldn’t drive the team, that was Dad’s job; but I remember stacking shocks of oats taller than me.  I remember the awe of watching those shocks eaten by the threshing machine and spit out as small kernels of grain.  That small grain was lifeblood.  Its impact was tremendous.  Horses ate it whole; cows ate it made into a cake; and we ate it for breakfast.

Being “itchy” from the chaff was the worst, but I don’t remember ever crying about it, it just was!  When you are small getting to help means a lot.  Being part of the family is important.  Our family was as diverse as this team of horses, all sizes, shapes, and ages.  Yet Dad and Mom bound us together as one.

Eventually we all grew up and went separate directions.  But the nucleus that bound us never dissipated.

Hard work was cherished because of the fruits.  Teamwork was understood. Leadership was recognized as essential to a well-rounded healthy, balanced lifestyle. Character was treasured as an individual quality.  Significance was given to all.

 




Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in Connolly

Learnin' to Trust After a Tumble
Learnin' to Trust After a Tumble

May 19, 2025

Howdy folks. It’s Win or Lose, your favorite horse from the Connolly Saddlery spread, settin’ by the corral with a story to tell and some thoughts to chew on. I ain’t much for philosophizin’, but a while back, I had a moment that got me thinkin’ ‘bout the Red Sea—that Bible tale where the Israelites were pinned between a big ol’ stretch of water and Pharaoh’s army, waitin’ on the Good Lord to clear a path. See, I reckon every day’s a Red Sea moment, ‘specially after the first time I bucked my...

Continue Reading

The Old Barn and the New Saddle
The Old Barn and the New Saddle

May 12, 2025

The Old Barn and the New Saddle As told by Win or Lose, Resident Ranch Philosopher “Barns don’t just hold hay. They hold time. Saddles don’t just carry riders. They carry dreams.”— Win or Lose

Continue Reading

Lessons From My Mother, Arrivawin:  Reflections from a Life Well-Lived
Lessons From My Mother, Arrivawin: Reflections from a Life Well-Lived

May 05, 2025

Hello again, friends. It's me, Win or Lose, taking a moment to reflect on my journey and the invaluable lessons I've learned along the way. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of races, competitions, and the thrill of the moment, but when I pause to look back, I realize that my greatest teacher was never a coach or a rider — it was my mother, Arrivawin.

Continue Reading