Post Position

Post position ... goes a long way to winning ... in horseracing.  At least that's what I've been told.

Saturday was opening day at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs.  It was a beautiful day following on the heels of the BIG snow earlier in the week.  Cabin-fevered fans rushed over to the track for the famous corned beef sandwiches ... and to watch the ponies ... run.

Not me.  I had a full schedule of work-related things. 

Still, I couldn't resist checking out the card for the day.  Some people play fantasy football ... or whatever those imaginary teams are all about.  I, on the otherhand, handicap from home during racing season ... in my own quirky way.

It's been a long time since I've actually been at the track.  Guess it's because I lived away for so long ... and since moving back ... it seems that the season comes and goes before I find a good time to go.

This year I intend to make up for that.  I love being there.  I like to stand outside on the rail.  The excitement of the crowd is intoxicating.  The thrill of the race is ... a little hard to describe ... it's one of those lost pieces of MJ that I want to rediscover ... this year.

At the track, I usually have a horse or two in mind but then I wait to watch them parade out before placing a bet.  It's intuitive for me.  I rarely spend time on the racing form statistics.  I am not serious or analytical in making my bets ...  my picks on the horses are made much like I live life ... from the heart.

At home, though, I have to just go with tele-pathetic vibes.  You know, just read over the names.  And choose them based on what feels "right" at the moment.  Not very scientific, I know ... but still it's fun & interesting.

And I have a pretty good success rate.  I keep up with my pretend bets each day ... and carry forward my winnings on a spreadsheet.  I start with less than $100 play money on my first day's wagers ... and then track it to the end of the season.  Three horses (Win/Place/Show) in each race for $2 ... and a Daily Double bet.  No need to complicate things ... by playing with larger sums ... it's make-believe afterall.

Works pretty well for me.  I haven't ended a season with less than $500 in my little bank ... and on a bigger field ... I have picked the Kentucky Derby winner 20 out of the last 25 years ... following pretty much the same ... ahem ... strategy.

So Saturday morning, I am reading through the entries ... making my selections.  Got to Race 5 ... and there at the top of the list was MY horse ... Life's Lessons.

Made me smile. 

I don't actually follow this horse ... or anything.  But since it carries the name of my blog ... I feel kinship whenever I see it in the lineup.  My first encounter with Life's Lessons was the day after I posted my first blog entry.  I wrote about that experience ... back in 2009 ... http://lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

It's a fun story.  Even if MY horse came in .... DEAD LAST.

It's been a couple of years since then.  And I recall having seen Life's Lessons in races since then ... but I don't really remember the outcomes.  It's not like that for me.

Every race is a new opportunity ... at least that's the way I choose to see it.

Life's Lessons.  Opening Day.  Post Position 1.

It would have just been WRONG for me not put a little "something" on that one!

Found a friend who was going over to the track who agreed to spot me a "fun little bet".  Figured since I wasn't going to be there ... and I was playing with someone else's money ... I would keep it simple ... much like my imaginary wagers.

$2 across the board.  It was just for fun, afterall.  Promised to buy him a drink this week when he came to bring me my winnings.  It was all good.

Saturday was a very busy day for me.  Work stuff had me running.  And there are some other things happening ... unfolding ... in my life & the lives of people that are important to me ... that were occupying what little bit of thinkin' time I had.  So it wasn't until the evening that it crossed my mind that I should check on MY horse.

A quick glance at the results at http://www.oaklawn.com/ showed that Life's Lessons was not "in the money".

I chuckled.  Of course, not.  This wasn't just a horse that I selected on intuition ... this was MY horse ... running for it's livelihood ... for it's life.  Giving it's all ... to offer it's personal best ... TODAY.

Just like me.

So it was fitting ... somehow ... that it didn't runaway with a win .. or even place or show.

... the laughter began to swell ... from over there in the corner ... where my best friend, God, Creator of the Universe ... has been watching me all week ... as I have been navigating my way through an emotional minefield. 

It's been like starting from the outside post position ... and trying to weave through the pack in front of you ... without a bump ... without a stumble ... pushing forward ... to the finish line ... when you can't even see around the next turn ...

*sigh* ... Life's Lessons had the advantage of the number one post position ... that should have been enough ... but it wasn't.

And I thought to myself.  It's really not about winning.  It's about how you run the race.

"Really, MJ?!?  When did you adopt that philosophy?!?  Do tell ... please. "

Yep. That's what He said as He began to laugh one of those big ole belly-laughs ... that comes  from pure & utter delight in whatever it is that you are watching.

And there I was ... scratching my head ... wondering what was sooo funny.

Then in a rush ... came memory after memory. 

I am very competitive.  That's just the way I am wired, I guess.  My grandfather taught me to play cards before I could read ... and he never let me win ... not one single time.  Starting with his very own game ... that he made up ... with no purpose other than to teach my brothers and I ... how to play the game ... and to play to win.  It was a game that was referred to ..;  in the family ... simply  as ... Cards.

I think that was about the same time he taught me how to drink coffee.  With lots of sugar & cream ... at first ... then gradually weaning me off the "bad" stuff ... so that by the time I was able to hold my own in any game we chose ... I was drinking it black.

My dad ... he was a fierce competitor, too.  Our card playing didn't start until later.  He didn't have the patience to teach me the game ... he was more about stretching my intellect ... going for the "win" at all costs ... honing my skills for all that life would throw at me.  Outwitting and outplaying ... these strategies were spoonfed to me from my youngest days ... long before Jeff Probst claimed them as his own ...


Play with integrity ... but ALWAYS play to win. 

That's always been one of the driving forces in my life.  And it's always worked out well for me ...

Still .. on Saturday ... the realization came .. that somehow ... I've changed ... and I guess I didn't know it was happening ... if I had it wouldn't have been such a surprise ...

Sure. Winning is important.  Especially when the stakes are high ... when there's much to gain from the outcome.  Other times, not so much. 

Not because the risk is too great.  That's never a detractor to me.  I love challenges ... doing something that others have said is impossible ... putting it all on the line.  If it's something that grabs my attention ... the risk is never too great.


There have been times ...  in the last few years ... when I've found that the win wasn't going to be worth the price.  It's not really winning if you have to give up pieces of yourself ... lose your dignity ... sacrifice even the tiniest bit of your morals or integrity,

In my past ... winning ... just for the sake of winning ... was always IMPORTANT ... in addition to whatever was the actual goal.  Today, though, I've discovered  there are times when it's staying in the game that's important ... not the big, easy win.


So I'm running my race.  Competitively.  And I'm learning things about winning ... and life ... and myself

It isn't really all about winning the first time out ... or the second .. or third ... one hundredth ...

It's about keeping your eyes on the prize ... that waits at the finish line.

And I am learning, too, that sometimes simply finishing the race ... what you started ... is the WIN that counts ... even if you don't get a blanket of roses.

Somehow, I've changed.  That's what I said to myself on Saturday. 
Imagine that.

Very, very late ... when I was home & settling down from the long day ... I decided that it was important to know what position MY horse finished in. 

My guess was that it was going to be DEAD LAST again ...

Finally found a website that gave me the finish stats for the entire field ... not just the WINNERS. 

Life's Lessons came in  ... SECOND ... to last!

... ahhh ... Avis ... from front to back ... or start to finish ... always second to something .. always trying harder ...

And the laughter filled the room ... it was contagious ... it was impossible not to join in the rolling-on-the-floor merriement.  My Best Friend & I ... laughing so hard ... that we snorted.

I've told you many times before ... God snorts when He laughs.  It's true.  I promise.

"YOUR horse, MJ ... has learned a couple of things ... just like you. Not only did Life's Lessons finish the race .. today ... it came in ahead of the last time.   And there's always the next time.  The race isn't over ... until you just quit running ... and the easy WIN isn't ever worth as much as the one you've waited & worked for ... trust me ... it's a promise!"

Life's Lessons ... is still running at Oaklawn ... two years later ...  and it's learned a thing or two ... redesigned & refined its strategy ... and its moved up a notch.

Postive forward progress.

Life's Lesson ... and me.

http://www.lifelessons-mj.blogspot.com/
(c) January 2011