I was thinking the other day: ?”Man! … Hank! ?I wish we’d’ve given a READ ME FIRST? to every love we’d ever lost.” ?Or got rid of. ?Or that lost us. ?Or however it went isn’t the point. ?I wish I had. ?Just so-sy we’d’ve had a few things clear from the get-go. But I didn’t. And it would’ve gone better. Or, at least, quicker.
But you??I??Oui still have a chawnce!? (I know … Stay with me).
We still do, because you will know certain things before proceeding ANY further, and, if you do anyway, well: it means you probably had it coming. ?You could’ve not and been fine.
Forewarnings and Context
- I will not lie to you – unless it becomes necessary to teach a lesson more essential than thoughtless honesty (which, let’s face it, seems to be the only kind around these days). ?And that’s the Truth.
- Only I call me “Hank” and like it very much.
- In advance of advancing further: I’m an English major. I’m some other things, but this?will be the most irritating thing among them, at least initially. To the humorless and moderately mis-educated, I may sound arrogant and condescending on paper. Probably (if I’m being honest) in person, too – especially to a?very many non-English majors, who, often misunderstanding what I’ve just said (or, more luxuriantly,?meant)?presume?to’ve been?maligned when exposed to new words.?In Truth, most often, I’m only deprecating myself – a bad habit I picked up in London, which I’m still trying to shake.? Either way: ?No offense, pal. ?And none taken … and never lightly, if I can help it. And you should know that.
- This compendium of Very Stable Genius is chronically WIP. ?Initially a means of organizing my thoughts, content was reflexively written, and has, by and large, remained unedited.? That’s why it’s free. For now :).
- So why publish it? My earliest ‘alt-dressage’ hero was?Nuno Oliveira.?Simply watching the man work a horse for 15 minutes on Youtube is an education for anyone with eyes. But when I searched for all the Oliveira books, I found he’d published little.? A small volume of notes, more or less.? Plus, I’d noticed over the course of much learning and teaching during my own life: if we do not record our observations when we know little, the ability to explain rudimentary essentials to newcomers later fades.
- So, at the risk of some typos, missing words – and having said things poorly which might’ve been said better, or more efficiently* -? I present these presents presently. If they don’t make sense to you yet, they may not be meant for you. Yet. Stay with me.
– Your servant
* By me -?probably not you. But maybe?