Like a thoroughbred surging out of the gates, each student is entered in this race to finish it. There will be students who win, place, or show. There will be some who finish with a gasp. The unpredictable thing about horse racing (and life), is that a horse that starts out last often manages to win a race, while a horse that is first out of the gate often falters in the backstretch.
The best hope a thoroughbred has is to have a good team: a great trainer, an understanding and compassionate owner, an excellent groom, an efficient exercise rider, and a canny yet wise jockey.
Watching the bright colors of backpacks and t-shirts I cannot help but see a race. I see the equivalent of a horse’s lathered neck in the angry sidestep of an anxious student and I know there is a race handicapper somewhere, adding a burden, hidden under a saddle, to even the field. I also know that starting-post positions depend on the random luck of the draw.
Horse racing is incredibly dangerous, but when all goes well, it is also an incredibly beautiful sport.
Here is to a clean and clear race for all students!