Needed: Heroic Horse

So I watched some of the Academy Awards last weekend live and some via Tivo (that show is very long...) because I had actually seen all five of the movies nominated for best picture. For the record, I loved all of them for different reasons and had decided, in the right environment, each one of them could have been chosen. The point about Slum Dog Millionaire being a perfect pick for our economic conditions was made over and over and I think that it's right. Movies do capture the essence of their eras and it is always nice to be reminded that the underdog can indeed triumph.

There is a horse link here so bear with me. I am knee deep in the heroic horses section of my thesis and combing old newspaper articles and magazine pieces about Seabiscuit and Secretariat. It is astounding how the media shapes our perception of heroes but it is also amazing how much we need a hero now, given the times. Seabiscuit really did come to represent hope for the challenged in the midst of some pretty dark times in our country. Just why it takes a horse is still a mystery to me--although I think some of it has to do with the horse's general allure and the fact that he somehow strides both the manmade and the natural environments--but I truly do think we are ready for a new equine hero right about now.

So far I truly don't see a potential Triple Crown winner blooming but you never know. One thing I do know is that if there is one this year or next, that horse will grab hold of the public's imagination the same way Seabiscuit did.

So maybe in your Derby musings, you should consider a horse who has done little lately to make the story complete. You know, the come-from-behind, give-me-a-chance type usually overlooked. That's what we need right about now.

Here's the other thing that struck me about the Academy Awards: nearly everyone who was honored spoke about how long they had dreamed of the honor--some a literal lifetime. The moral of that story: good things do seem come to those who persist and wait.

Which was actually just what I needed to have reinforced when the finish line of this project seems miles away.....