The Alone Girl was horse crazy. There. It’s out in the open. In fact, as a child she was occupied with books, horses, play, and learning. The Alone Girl received books as gifts for birthdays and Christmases. In between she utilized the public library.
A few books still stand out in her mind. Black Beauty, Misty of Chincoteague and the Illustrated Guide to Pony Care were longtime favorites. There was never the remotest chance of the Alone Girl owning a pony or horse but if it ever happened, she was prepared for its care.
Another horse-influenced memory that remains in the Girl’s mind involves JFK’s funeral. Aside from the Kennedy children’s similar ages to hers, the Girl knew Caroline had her own pony. Horses played a prominent role throughout the funeral. The Girl was mesmerized by them, especially the riderless horse with its rider’s boots reversed in the stirrups.
The Girl would eventually learn more about the tradition while reading through the section of military history and biography at the library. Her endless curiosity was fed by her frequent trips to the library, just a couple of stone’s throws from her home.
The horse craze was somewhat satisfied with trail rides and a couple of summers at camp where one could ride for an extra charge. Used to riding Western, the Alone Girl enjoyed learning to ride English style though did not care for being chastised about her posture which was lousy. But it gave her the opportunity to be aboard a horse, so she made the best of it.
It was a nice dream, but just a dream. “We are such stuff as dreams are made on…” said William Shakespeare in The Tempest. Dreams are wonderful but, while some may come true, it’s likely we will see more of what is true.
While reality may be harsh at times, it takes very little to dive into a book and achieve a dream-like state. One needs to keep things in perspective. The Alone Girl looks forward to reading the books received as Christmas gifts. It’s never too late to dream.
“It’s too bad that all these things/Can only happen in my dreams/Only in dreams/In beautiful dreams”. Roy Orbison
Stories Are For Eternity 
Another thing we share- a love of horses. I wanted a horse so much but never got one. I had to be content with two weeks at Summer Camp with daily horseback rides.
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