There's even a lot to learn in lunging!

I had to stop by stores for my final T-giving shopping tonight, so Willig was going to get lunged, and Mercury was going to get off scot-free. Tomorrow the kittens get spayed (and are way, way overdue by their behavior), so tomorrow night both horses get the night off while I protect the kittens from Kappa the bounty hunter.
Fortunately for me, but not fortunately for my ego, Alice was out. I asked her to let me know whenever she saw me do something wrong. Turns out - after all these years - I have no idea how to lunge a horse, and tonight I just learned how little I know. I knew I was missing something, from watching Bob lunge and lunging Mercury, but I couldn't figure out what I wasn't doing. Turns out - almost everything, and certainly all the same things I do on their back.
I'm going to make an analogy to the law, which probably most people will be fortunate enough not to get. But all lawyers - no matter how brilliant - face a steep learning curve when they start to work. For some people, it might only be a few months; for others, a few years. But it is frustrating, steep, seemingly impossible at times, and it turns out, just as I am beginning to level out just a tiny bit in the law, I am now facing that same learning curve with Willig.
My ferrari/beetle bug analogy, my riding a rainbow vs. a 2x4 analogy - all those still apply. Willig is so nuanced.
This is what one minute of the 30 painful minutes I'm out there is like:
Willig: (turns head towards me) What the hell are you doing?
Me: Why is he looking at me? Did I just do something wrong? Oh shit!
Willig: Well, now she's yanking on my mouth and popping the whip at the same time. Which one should I do?
Me: Why isn't he responding? Did I just do something wrong? Oh shit!
Willig: I guess I'll just stop until she figures it out.
Me: Why is he stopping? Did I just do something wrong? Oh shit!
So - Alice taught me to keep my hands down low and still. Move towards him (this one was hard) but don't push him into the walls. Don't ever pull on my hand and tell him to go forward at the same time. React quicker - when he is about to hesitate, push him forward. Use my voice - use my voice - use my voice. Face his middle - not in front of him and not totally behind him. Move with him, but don't shove him into the walls or make a square "circle". Use a half halt. Make him obey. If he doesn't whoa, make him whoa. Don't let him walk into me in the center. Don't follow him (I lead, not him). Don't ever, ever chase him. Repeat commands if he doesn't do it the first time.
And, horrors, when he goes crazy, make him whoa, put him back to what he was doing, and then whoa him and calm things down. And then do it again, properly.
There are probably like 100 little steps I have already forgotten, and this was just Alice watching me for a little while. My lunging improved so much, just from that little bit of help.
For a few precious steps at trot, we got good movement. But it was like being on every second I was out there. And everything happened too fast for me because there were too many bad habits to change at once. And Willig got frustrated.
He is going to be a great teacher if we can make it through this steep part of the learning curve. He is so amazing. I know so little and have so many bad habits, and it is just repeat, repeat, repeat 100 times and then add something new and start over.
Alice and Bob know so much. I am just in awe all the time. I just hope I can adapt and learn and live up to Willig's potential.