Emma and I often talk together about this life path we currently share and the wonder of it.  We feel blessed to have one another in what would otherwise frequently feel like a lonely, isolated journey for us individually.

Emma’s journey is to understand and follow an approach to horsemanship that is based on a strong spiritual relationship with her horses; a connection that employs no force, no restraints, no punishment, no physical or emotional pain for either horse or human. Emma’s desire is to rejoice in the innate beauty of this powerful equine shaman who can teach her the glory of relationship with animals and, therefore, with humans.  Because traditional horsemanship and people in the horse industry typically endorse such activities as horseback riding, jumping, dressage, racing, polo, etc., and the incumbent force associated with these sports, Emma finds herself mostly alone in her equine pursuits.  She must seek out and travel to the few mentors available who share and practice her horsemanship beliefs to help her grow in her relationship with her horses, Freedom (aka Saoirs – Seer-sha) and Emmy.  She has been fortunate in this pursuit to find wonderfully spiritual teachers.

My journey is to be able to create and share meaningful stories through filmmaking.  This comes at a time in my life when nearly all of my peers are looking upon retirement as the next phase of their lives.  I am 60 years old.  Shouldn’t I also be thinking about relaxing into my senior years?  My role model was a mother who was still teaching piano when she died in a car accident at the age of 92 – really!  As a result, I see at least 30 more years within which to pursue my bliss!  So, about 18 months ago, I discovered the joy of storytelling through film in a video class at the Computer Career Institute at Johns Hopkins University.  I created Crabtowne Productions http://www.crabtowne.com/ last year, and following the making of my first short film “My Friend Joan: A Conversation,” I began working with Emma on “Freedom’s Choice.”  http://www.freedomschoicethemovie.com/ She and her horses are a joy to be around!  I must, however, walk this new path without daily professional partners to support me.  Everything I need to learn, I must seek out on my own.  Like Emma, I have been blessed in finding what I need thus far, and along with Emma, we are moving forward in this new and exciting venture…together.