I was driving to an Amish friend's house 60 miles away, in the area where I used to live before I met Sweetheart.
Every year I take her and some of her daughters to look at the autumn leaves as they turn color, shop at some of the thrift stores in the area and eat lunch at one of the many restaurants.
I really like to see the trees with yellow and orange leaves. It lifts my heart with joy. And, if God throws a red-leafed tree among them, it's even better.
As I was on my way there, I saw a horse with its neck stretched over the fence to eat the grass on the other side. There were acres of pasture, full of grass the horse could eat, but it apparently wanted to try something new.
From the time I was a little girl, I have heard the adage, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence,"
I always thought it was just a figure of speech until I saw it take place right in front of my eyes for the first time. It never ceases to amaze me. Besides, do horses even know what color the grass is?
I arrived at my friend's house and we started on our way. Well, we looked at the leaves for a while and then our minds turned to more important things--like shopping--and lunch.
After we had hit all of the thrift stores we knew about and had eaten all of the food on our plates, we headed toward the lady's home. As we waited for her daughter to pick up her baby from her sister's house, I told her about the horse and the fence and the grass.
We decided that, figuratively speaking, horses aren't the only creatures that think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. People think the same thing.
Maybe a person is dissatisfied with their job, or where they live or where they shop. So, the person decides to stick their neck out and try something new, even though they can get all they need right where they are. They might discover the same situation in the new place.
On the other hand, they might like something new and decide to "jump the fence." It probably doesn't hurt to stick your neck out once in a while.
On my way home, I passed the pasture where I had seen the horse and it was contentedly feeding on the grass inside. I went a little farther and saw a sheep with its head through the fence wire, chomping away. I guess we all need to learn for ourselves.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or make a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
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