Presumptiuous Assumptions

Good morning!
This was the view on the way in to the paying job. I'm taking it as a good sign that today will only get better. I was scrolling through FB this morning and read a post that left me a bit irritated. I'm trying my best to let it go but it was rather pretentious. So I guess in my normal vane of things, I'll rant on it and then I can let it go. You may want to ignore this post.

A rainbow at the end of the Sanctuary driveway (sorry it's blurry I was driving)

You see, until you are in someone else's shoes, you have no idea what they are going through. I've had comments directed at me that make it sound like we have the world by the horns and that we are on top of the world. Little do these people know, we are barely hanging on. There are nights I cry myself to sleep over the stresses of the day and week.


The comment was about hay. We are in a drought and even just the word drought makes prices sky rocket. So the person went on to say you needed to plan for it and to buy early. Sure it is necessary to plan and to do your best in buying hay as early as possible. In a perfect world  you can get what you want at the price you want. But what about the what ifs? What if your hay guy doesn't have enough hay? What if he needs it for himself or has to sell to others as well? What if you did all that planning and made contact with your hay guy and they still fell through? What then? Hard to stay on your pedestal when you're scrambling.


I know I've made some presumptuous assumptions but as I get older, I try to make less of those. Why, because it makes me look like an ass when I am spouting assumptions. I know I'm opinionated and not nearly as humble as I need to be when I'm behind a computer screen. But I've had my hard knocks and fallen off my pedestal a number of times.


I'm always flabbergasted at people when they assume that others have it easy. How do you know until you've been in their shoes? I'm not even talking horse stuff either, I'm just talking life in general. I had a person at our daycare (who is long gone) who thought we had more money than god and that we were rather spoiled (and that their life was tough). We made difference choices so of course our lives are different. But we've also sacrificed, giving up almost everything that people consider entertainment (going to the movies, going out for dinners, hanging out with friends). In fact we even get flack for taking our kids on vacations. That one rubs me raw. I have my priorities right and my kids come first. It may look like we are only doing fun vacation stuff but little does anyone know that we are busting our butt so that we CAN go. We don't have anyone else to help us. No one sees us out at 10pm unloading hay or filling water tanks, or getting up and checking fence at 6am. But we do it so that our kids dont' have to wait or suffer for my decision to run a Sanctuary. Even when we are gone overnight for something, we have to spend two or three days in preparation so we CAN go. There's a lot more planning involved than what people think. So walk in my shoes for a little while and see.


As I grow older, I learn more and I hope that I am not as presumptuous as I used to be. I know I made comments that were rather high and mighty but I've had enough spills to know that life can and will throw you a curve ball. After we almost lost my son, I know I am no longer the same person that I used to be. I am much more skeptical, much more wary,  much more on edge because we darn near lost everything, not just the Sanctuary, and our home, but my son. So walk in someone else's shoes for a while and I think that will fix people's pretentious comments about how well we have it or how well any person has it.


Because at some point, the idea that it only happens to other people will surprise you when it happens to you.


Sorry for making this a cranky post instead of a feel good post. But I just had to get it off my chest. I admit, it is easy to sit back and point fingers or to play the poor me game (I'm usually riding the pity train at least once every few weeks). We simply have to play the cards we are dealt even if they aren't a good hand. Make the most of what you are given and work hard for what you have. And most of all, be grateful for what you have. The world would be a better place if people were more humble.

View this morning