A Sure Thing
I had to watch. There was so much being made of this event,
that I had to see how it all turned out.
Of course, I wanted the best one to win, but I also wanted to
see a great story become even greater.
We watched the Kentucky Derby.
I don't know a thing about horse racing, but I know plenty about
winning and losing.
As the odds changed and the tension mounted, I paid little
attention to who owned what and how much they made in the past
three years. The odds makers were having a field day with all
the possibilities. I am sure there was a small fortune to be
made if you had the right combination and your horse came in.
From what I remember the winning horse would bring a hefty five
million dollars to the owner.
As the horses approached the starting gate, the announcer read
all the statistics, but none of it made any sense to me. All I
saw were horses and people. As the camera scanned along the
line, I wondered what each jockey was thinking. They all have
won races before, some even won the Derby, but each race is
different, new, and fresh. They weren't there to lose.
They started the race as winners.
There were to be 18 horses in this race, but a few were "scratched,"
dropped out for whatever reason before the race was announced.
One by one they took their places.
"They're off!"
It was a muddy race track, "sloppy" they said. As they bolted
from the gate I saw the crowded field tighten up as each rider
fought to get their position. They were literally touching
sides, some six or seven deep. That is until they suddenly
slipped into place.
As they headed into the first turn I focused not on who was in
the lead, but all the horses that were behind.
The leader was clean and almost untouched by the m&d and rain.
All the horses behind were soaked and dirty. I saw that as the
first obvious advantage of being the leader in the race.
I know it doesn't always work this way, but I've discovered that
the one in the lead early on often times burns out too soon.
The great story, the excitement in the race happens when a horse
lost in the crowd suddenly bursts forth.
Life is like that race.
I know many who started out in the lead and because of all too
many bad turns, poor positioning and perhaps foolish pride, are
headed for the finish line falling far behind.
Still others were scratched from the race all too soon.
Life happens that way.
I'm not sure how long the race I'm in will run. At 54 I'm more
than half way there. I'm certainly well past the first turn.
But then again, I could also be in the final stretch.
I can tell you I've been in the lead and I've been the very
last. Right now I'm running with a lot of m&d in my face
somewhere in the middle.
No matter where you are, the race isn't over until the Great
Announcer says it's over.
That means whether you're running second, last or somewhere in
the middle like me, there's plenty of room to find your place.
But you don't have to be number one to win. You see in life,
never giving up, finishing no matter how long it takes, having
had the chance to run at all, makes you a winner.
Win, place or show, if I were a betting man, my money would
be on you. You see, God only makes winners,
so you're "a Sure Thing!"