I am a late bloomer
I've been reading Malcolm Gladwell's book, What the Dog Saw. It happens to be a collection of his articles from the New Yorker. One of the articles is about Late Bloomers and I've decided that with many things in my life, I am a late Bloomer - especially riding.
Gladwell explored difference between artists that are prodigies (their talent and craft is obvious from the start) and those that develop their art later in life, after years of struggle. Struggle is probably not the right word. Practice is a better term.
I do remember when I was younger thinking that you had to achieve greatness in your youth. I don't know why I had this idea or where it came from. But it was ingrained in my way of thinking. Gladwell recalled that, in our history, many of the great artists did achieve their greatest works while they were young: Mozart, Orson Welles, T.S. Eliot. But then there were artists like Cezanne (he happens to be one of my favorites), did not achieve greatness until well into his 50s. It's funny how society fails to tell you the details behind success - that it does not always come instantaneously. Many successful individuals are not prodigies - they labor over their skill for a lifetime and in many instances, bloom late.
With riding I often wonder how I can still be so average - you'd think after riding for 20 years I'd be better. Well, I'm clearly no prodigy. But that doesn't mean I'm not getting better. It's just at my own pace. I need to remember that I am not less of a person or rider because my path is slower and longer than others. We all move at our own pace. Hopefully, those of us that are late bloomers are surrounded by supportive friends and family that understand our quest and encourage the exploration of our passion, regardless of the final outcome.
Gladwell explored difference between artists that are prodigies (their talent and craft is obvious from the start) and those that develop their art later in life, after years of struggle. Struggle is probably not the right word. Practice is a better term.
I do remember when I was younger thinking that you had to achieve greatness in your youth. I don't know why I had this idea or where it came from. But it was ingrained in my way of thinking. Gladwell recalled that, in our history, many of the great artists did achieve their greatest works while they were young: Mozart, Orson Welles, T.S. Eliot. But then there were artists like Cezanne (he happens to be one of my favorites), did not achieve greatness until well into his 50s. It's funny how society fails to tell you the details behind success - that it does not always come instantaneously. Many successful individuals are not prodigies - they labor over their skill for a lifetime and in many instances, bloom late.
With riding I often wonder how I can still be so average - you'd think after riding for 20 years I'd be better. Well, I'm clearly no prodigy. But that doesn't mean I'm not getting better. It's just at my own pace. I need to remember that I am not less of a person or rider because my path is slower and longer than others. We all move at our own pace. Hopefully, those of us that are late bloomers are surrounded by supportive friends and family that understand our quest and encourage the exploration of our passion, regardless of the final outcome.
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