ACCOUNTABILITY — The other rare earth element

Espíritu

Veterans Equine Alliance

THE HORSE GUY

COACHING WITH HORSES

STORY #192

ACCOUNTABILITY

The other rare earth element?

There is an international quest happening in search for rare earth elements. Apparently, these minerals are essential in the development of advanced electronics vital for our national defense, and also found in our cars, airplanes, refrigerators, batteries and computers, ie., life as we know it could be impaired if, one day, we ran out of this stuff on earth. Hence, there is a search in the deepest parts of the oceans, where nations ( including some of our avowed enemies) are staking claim to portions of the sea they insist are theirs. Even space shots to the moon are at least partially for purpose of building lunar bases to serve as launching places to the asteroid belt where these elements can be harvested in abundance.

I am not sure what rare earth elements are called out there.

Back here on terra firma there was an attempted assassination on a political candidate for presidency. Fortunately it failed. Our national leaders, doing what they do best, eagerly assaulted the leader of the Secret Service, demanding answers to this event in a demented show of bipartisan unity. Something extraordinary happened during this made for TV flogging — the Director of the Secret Service said these words —

“I accept full responsibility for what happened.”

She then resigned.

It struck me in that moment that I have never heard any other leader say those words. I have never heard a national political leader from either party say something as bold and original.

In fact, these same predatory senators and congress people, when unable to find others to blame and unwilling to accept responsibility themselves, are quick to claim nothing has happened when faced with other, equally stark, tragic events. Hence the title of this piece was born.

Accountability is a rare earth element.

…………

Václav Havel (1936-2011) was the first democratically elected president of the Czech Republic following its break from the Soviet Union. Imprisoned many times for his part in leading his country in breaking away from communism, he wrote this letter to his wife from prison.

I Must Begin

It is I who must begin.

Once I begin, once I try --

here and now,

right where I am,

not excusing myself

by saying things

would be easier elsewhere,

without grand speeches and

ostentatious gestures,

but all the more persistently

-- to live in harmony

with the "Voice of Being," as I

understand it within myself

-- as soon as I begin that,

I suddenly discover,

to my surprise, that

I am neither the only one,

nor the first,

nor the most important one

to have set out

upon that road.

Whether all is really lost

or not depends entirely on

whether or not I am lost.

( from Teaching With Fire, 2003 )

The contrast in accountability is staggering.

This is what self accountability looks like. Havel knows his own tendencies and how he can fool himself. When he listens to the Voice of Being he sees and hears the truth. The sobering reality follows: I am not alone, nor am I the most important one. And…it’s up to me. I must begin. There is a simplicity here that is undeniable and rare.

We don’t have to drag the ocean floor or go to the moon. Accountability, this true earth element, though rare, is very close to each of us.

………….

“For the simplicity on this side of complexity, I wouldn't give you a fig. But for the simplicity on the other side of complexity, for that I would give you anything I have.” ― Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.(1809-1894)

……………

We see military veterans at the farm at Veterans Equine Alliance. They each have their stories to tell but what they share in common is a broken open humility. They have passed through the refining fire of combat, addiction for some, trouble with the law for others, PTSD, and a struggle to find where they belong. They do not arrive full of argument looking to blame others for their place in life. They have learned the hard way that kind of simplicity isn’t worth a damn, or a fig. They embody a hard earned, quiet accountability which the horses spot and respond to immediately.

There are other horses and owners here. People go about their business every day and the horses pay them no attention. Something sweet and tender happens, though, when one of these veterans walks out into pasture to be with the horses. Our horses look up, stop grazing, leave their herd and walk over to greet our visitors. Often, they remain engaged with the veterans for long periods of time before summer grass and clover call them back to grazing. For their part, the veterans leave excited, more clear about what’s important to them now, more confident and hopeful.

Accountability brings freedom

Accountability brings with it freedom, according to these vets. They’ve tried and grown tired of the cheap simplicity this side of complexity. They offer no grand speeches, no flag waving demand to be recognized. They’ve simply grown tired of all that. This is not a time to settle…for them or for you and me.

VETERANS EQUINE ALLIANCE ?

https://veteransequinealliance.com

ESPíRITU

https://espirituhorse.com