Big Brown, Obama, and Superman

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird; it's a plane, it's...it's... it's neither. It's 2008.
Go Big Brown! GObama! Who needs Superman?
Sometimes the stories just write themselves. It's June 4th, the 40th anniversary of the assassination of RFK. 35 years since Secretariat's Belmont, and the eve before Big Brown takes the Triple Crown and Obama the Presidency.
Predictions? No, just observations. But also a wonderful yardstick to measure the last half century.
Since we, as a culture, are still throwing off the crusty veil of mean-spirited cynicism, I have to pre-date my thoughts carefully to maintain my street credibility.
Both Obama and Big Brown are poised for the history books. What is written from this day forward will be the stuff of critics and true believers. It matters little. A page of life has turned. Two names inscribed; quasi immortality, the only kind.
Sure I'd like to see a Triple Crown winner and the first African-American president. (Why can't I just say American president?)
And I will, but if I don't, we've already won both races.
Big Brown may not run another race after Saturday's Belmont. That is an uncomfortable reminder of much that is wrong in horse racing. But even if he doesn't ever compete know this much: he's no ordinary horse. Today I saw a blog featuring 10 good reasons why he can't win. Some folks don't get it, but then we all need to believe in our own ways. Some folks think that trainer Rick Dutrow's karma will get in the way with Big Brown's destiny. Nice try. Did George W. Bush's karma get in the way of his destiny?
And on the day that Barak Obama clinches the nomination of his party, I celebrate the fact that he is no ordinary candidate. He's certainly not perfect, and he's certainly not superman. But he is a believer, who overcame obstacles and critics. Like Big Brown, he is short on experience but long on talent.
So here's the deal. And it's a double deal. Watch the race; enjoy the race. The best doesn't always win; but you knew that. Often the best does win. Consider what makes a winner best.

Comments

Writing on the Wall

The first time I saw graffiti that was memorable was in a middle school bathroom. As 6th graders I often walked home with friends by the middle school we'd soon be attending. A stop by the boys bathroom near the boys gym placed me face to face with a piece of graffiti that immediately madame and my friends laugh uncontrollably. On the wall above the urinals, was penned a short poem that read" This is a Teepee to take a pee pee, Not a wigwam to beat your tom tom 14 year-old humor at it's best. The laughter my friends and I experienced was cathartic. Being bottom of the barrel Freshmen could have dire consequences in the boys bathroom. Those unpleasantries would come later, but for the moment, we were ecstatic and proceeded to read all the g...

The Quality of Optimism

I've returned to The Book of Qualities, by J Ruth Gentler once again to meet the needs of one of the senior students in my little Writing From Memory class I'm currently teaching in my local community center. This little volume personifies various concepts and personality traits. The particular student "in need" seems to be fixated on writing about her past relationships. Apparently, there were many. I'm OK with that. I only hope that she picks a few qualities that are as revealing about herself as those that might describe her Ex's. There is much to be learned by writing about a quality. The aforementioned book seems to have survived well over the years. I first encountered it and its author way back in the late 1970s. I took a journal writing workshop from her. Then, a few years later, her book came out and I introduced these writing exercises to my students. 11th grade Juniors seemed to do the best with it. ...

Mr. Greene v. Mr. Brown

I want to tell you about something. Something I've carried inside myself for a number of years now. Perhaps if I were a different kind of person I wouldn't need to talk about it. I'm not. My need to tell it is stronger than your need to hear it. Because, however, there are a number of teachers and former students of mine who may read these meanderings from time to time, I need to tell this story all the more. About 7 or 8 years ago I was asked if I would allow a university PhD. candidate to observe an English class. At first I decided against it because I was scheduled to have a student teacher placed with me the second half of the semester in question. After some urging, however, at the request of a respected colleague, I agreed. Soon I was committing to extra meetings, signing documents and explaining to the class in question who the young woman who thoughtfully pounded away on a laptop in the rear of the classroom three times a week was. I knew that the topic of ...

Daily Blues & Views

Search This Blog