02/04/2026
These lyrics are haunting me right now.
As a Vermonter, it’s basically a state holiday when Noah Kahan releases new music. I’ve been listening to The Great Divide on repeat for the last few days, trying to burn the lyrics into my brain.
But as I listened to it for the billionth time while I was driving to my mom’s house for dinner the other night, the pre-chorus stirred up a thought that brought me to tears.
Even though this is definitely not what this song was about, my heart and soul brings everything back to horses.
I think about all of the horses who have gotten me where I am today all the time.
I used to have a deep misunderstanding of their needs, how to read and respond to their behavior as communication instead of shutting it down or dismissing it.
I recognized how bad it must have been for them, not because I didn’t care or didn’t love them, but because I (and many of my mentors) didn’t know any better, and they paid for it.
It must have been really hard for them to keep it all inside.
I try not to beat myself up for not knowing then what I know now. Though I do think there is a healthy amount of guilt and regret that can cause us to change for the better, and to see where we could act differently if we were faced with the same situation today.
There is a Great Divide between where I once was when all of these photos were taken and where I am now. And while there is a sadness for the girl who didn’t know better then, I have so much grace for her knowing I’d end up where I am now.
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Dedicated to the horses I think about all the time: Jäger, Nell, Jab, and Slide (in order of appearance). 🤍
