Where to begin with this book...
What a read...
The Horse Boy is the true story of a father willing to do anything to help his son. I laughed and then cried so many times while reading that the people surrounding me must have thought I was bipolar. (I read mostly on the metro.)
While reading you have to constantly remind yourself that this is true story... Isaacson has documented this part of his life in a such a way, you can hardly believe that we live on the same planet and I ask you not to take this as an exaggeration. I read this book at a time when I was not in a very happy place and it changed my perspective and not because I was grateful that I didn't have autism but because it helped me realize that the world is what you make it...
For those of you who have not read it, read it. I honestly wish I could lend you my copy. Before I go off on a rant about how you should drop everything and get the book, I'll tell you a little bit about it. Don't worry no major spoilers ahead... Rupert Isaacson met his wife-to-be Kristen in India and after a good chase, she eventually agreed to have him. Their son Rowan was born with a rare type of autism that little was known about and so little could be suggested to help both the parents and the child. They bravely struggled on through psychiatrist meetings and special needs child centers and realized a very important fact: none of it did any good. One day Rowan threw himself in front of a horse and a beautiful friendship was born. Betsy the horse helps Rowan to think and speak clearly and his father soon comes up with the idea to take him to Mongolia: where horses and shamanism walk hoof in hand.
One of the things you have to remember is this isn't a fabricated story. It's about a real family in a very real world. A world we are all a part of. You and I could also have our own adventure in the very real Mongolia or Japan or Egypt or wherever you want. I want to say that life is what you want it to be but more often than not, it's what we let it be. This book helped me remember that adventures or epic stories don't exist only on paper or in movies. We all have the power to do something meaningful with our lives if we just take a step back and listen to ourselves. And I mean yourself. Isaacson mentions his inner voice and how it guided him throughout a few of his life changing situations and through their journey in Mongolia and he is a good example of someone who took the initiative and ran with it. This is an incredibly brave thing to do and we should all applaud him for his strength.
He mentions many times that his goal was not to have Rowan cured of his autism. Rowan is autistic, to cure him of that would be to take what makes him himself away. I believe that most people do this to themselves almost on a daily basis. The need to fit in with the majority strips us of the things that make us unique. I've caught myself doing this so many times. I speak Turkish as a second language and I change the way I speak, my body language and to an extent the way I think while talking Turkish in Turkey because I don't want people to know that I am foreign and I am, in most people's eyes, different to them. It takes great confidence to be who you are and this book helped me to remember that I can be myself. I could be myself if I was autistic, bipolar, black, Asian, male, female, American or my next door neighbour.
Relax...
Take a step back...
Isaacson makes a point that I wholeheartedly believe: There are things that cannot be explained. Religion has been replaced by rationality. I believe we should be skeptical because humans have a tendency to try and trick other humans but we should also be open-minded and accept that there are things beyond our comprehension. I'm not telling you to call the nearest shaman and have your kidney stone removed but be open to the fact that being healed by a spiritual force is a possibility.
Nature is also a very important character in the book. I say character because it is one; not just in literature but in our lives as well. I don't mean to get all hippie on your butts right now but we are slipping further and further away from our real habitat. I know people who have never even pet a dog or cat in their entire lives and do not plan to. Nature is there people. No matter how much you ignore it, it's not going away. I honestly wish sometimes that an apocalyptic even would occur and people who don't know the difference between a dandelion and a daisy would suddenly find themselves trying to go the toilet behind a tree! This book is a reminder that nature is there to help us, to guide us; it is pure and it is beautiful. Embrace it...
Their trip was filmed and there is a documentary. Here's the link to its IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333668/
I haven't watched it yet but after seeing the trailer, you understand the pain of an autistic tantrum. The idea is almost cute in the book thanks the language Isaacson uses and so I was shocked at just how much screaming the little guy got up to in just the trailer.
After reading the book I feel like one of the family and I honestly hope they are all well and above all that they are happy.
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