What Do You Do?

It has always been a dreaded question, “What do you do?” As always, I would reluctantly answer, “legal secretary.” It made me cringe, so I changed “secretary” to “assistant,” but then it gave the impression that I was a paralegal. While perfectly qualified to do paralegal work, I have never worked as one, and even if I did, that position wouldn’t be right for me either. Both cases result in a stiff sentence of being chained to a desk for more hours than I can stand in one week. So, I left my legal position, but the question still comes up.

These days I’m wearing many hats, so the question is complicated. To avoid overwhelming anyone, I usually simplify the answer to “I teach yoga and work with horses.” Ah, that feels good! But the “work with horses” bit can cause some confusion. They will ask, “Are you a trainer?” No. While I have been riding since I was 9 years old, I’m not audacious enough to use the label “trainer.” What I do is sort of like dog walking. There are dog walkers whose job is to walk dogs that belong to other people so that when the owner returns home from work, the dog isn’t bouncing off the walls. In my case, I ride horses that belong to other people so that when the owner has the time to ride, their horse isn’t bouncing off the walls making life unpleasant, or much worse. When a dog jumps on you it’s annoying. When a horse spooks, bucks, or rears because it’s been couped up in a stall all week, things can get ugly fast.

Until recently, I spent most of my days chained to a desk in downtown LA. These days I’m out on horseback in Griffith Park enjoying the lovely weather that California is so famous for. On weekends I’m teaching yoga – the practice that gave me the courage to follow my heart, leave behind my “job,” and pursue my calling. Now it’s more effort than ever to explain what I “do,” but I’m certainly more happy to do it.

A Better Way to See LA

Yesterday I was riding on my Vespa from Pasadena to the area in Griffith Park known as Fern Dell to do some yoga in the park with fellow yogis (tres LA).  The area gets its name for its lush green hiking trail overflowing with ferns.   The day, as you can imagine, was sunny and warm.  It was still fairly early in the day so the traffic was still pretty light.  The two wheeled traffic, however, was noticeably heavy.  There was no doubt that motorcycle riders were taking advantage of just another gorgeous weekend in LA.  What has come to be more common lately is the number of scooters out on the road.  Red ones, blue ones, green ones, yellow ones, and riders from all walks of life, from hipsters to portly old men.  Scooters and their riders come in all shapes, sizes and colors. 

Gas prices, of course, is the driving force behind the scooter explosion, but the beauty is that these scooter newbies are finding out that there is no better way to see LA than from the cushy seat of a scooter.  The world is wide open when you see it from outside of a cage.  Places you have passed countless times before somehow seem to come alive when you cruize by on a scooter.  Besides the aesthetic appeal they also bring smiles to many faces.  On a scooter you are actually spreading joy, and God only knows that LA needs more of that.  If all of that isn’t enough to convince you that LA is a better scene from scooter-back, consider that insurance on one those little babies is about $300 a year, and at the gas pump… it’s criminal… $7.00 to fill a tank that will go for abut 120 miles. 

Quick, run to the nearest dealer!  But don’t be surprised if they are temporarily sold out.  Everyone seems to be jumping on the scooter train.  While you’re waiting for your scooter to arrive you can take a motorcycle safety course because you’re going to need skills to navigate LA’s busy streets.  Don’t let them scare you, just pay attention.