WINSTON WEEKLY^[1]

September 15, 2024

Vol. 2, No. 37

MAGICAL

The phrase from best-selling author Wade Rouse, “To finding your own magic!” resonates with me. I attended Drury College, now Drury University, with Wade in the late 1980’s. As with many former classmates, we lost touch over the years. We reconnected a couple of years ago during his book tour for Famous in a Small Town, a book written under his pen name, Viola Shipman.[2] Reflecting on Wade’s work and his “magic” phrase this week, I thought about AJ, a truly magical mule.

My late mother’s words capture AJ’s spirit: “AJ was a small mule, barely nudging 14 hands, with a kind heart, remarkable strength, and a brain capable of embarrassing anyone who cared to match wits with him. For years, in vain, he tried to teach his horse pasture-mates, all bigger than he, that if you walk up to a fence and take measure of its height, then take two steps back and push off, virtually any fence is traversable. Training AJ was always a negotiated process.”[3] During our years with AJ, he lived life with wonder and excitement, the essence of magic.

And so, it is with Wade’s life, a life lived with wonder and excitement, despite struggles and setbacks. John Searles said this about Wade’s book, Magic Season: “A beautiful, poignant and yes, magical memoir that captures the tough and tender bonds between father and son. This book will captivate readers from start to finish.”

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Think of a person, animal, place, or book that provides wonder and excitement in your life and write down why and how, or create a poem based on wonder and excitement. If you need inspiration, pick up a book by Wade or Viola, or consider 15 Fun Facts About Mules at https://www.horseillustrated.com.

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[1] Copyright September 15, 2024. Winston Weekly is a weekly newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles available at www.baylesconnect.com or by e-mail at baylesconnect@gmail.com. Please feel free to share with the appropriate attribute.

[2] https://violashipman.com; https://waderouse.com

[3] Horses Whispering Finding Ourselves in the Company of Equus, Mary-Charlotte B. Shealy, R.N., Ph.d., Balboa Press, 2013.