Re: The Great Debate

[Cyberpony <Cyberpony@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-03-14 00:41:51 EST, you write:

> If I saw an endurance rider with a jacket that
>  proclaimed, "1,000 career miles," would it matter to me if the rider was
>  solely a 25-miler or solely a 100-miler?  Would this "cheapen" the
>  efforts of the 100-miler? 

I graduated from college when I was 31 years old.  Does that make my college
degree worth less because I didn't whiz through it in four years.  Sometimes
life and circumstances dictate our pace.  I feel that my journey to a degree
in psychology was an exercise in endurance.  I didn't give up.  I worked hard.
I played by the rules.  I endured.  That lesson in life taught me that I could
still "have a piece of it", even if things around me weren't perfect.  Do you
think I was proud when I accepted my diploma and could hear my two kids yell
out, "Yea Mom!"?  You betcha!  Will I be proud when my horse and I accept some
sort of trinket for completing 1000 career miles?  You betcha!

AERC sanctions the LD rides that my horse and I do.  The "E" in AERC stands
for "Endurance".  What's the big deal?!   If AERC invites us to compete and is
willing to take our money we should be able to use the word "endurance" in
connection with what we do.