Greatness

[creativecause]

Greatness
Take Flight and Andrew Martin
Kentucky Open Workout



Apathy is the murderer of all that breaths. And passivity is the extinguisher of all the worlds dreams. Uncertainty is the suffocation of every passion that is unreached, and every difference that is unmade. But I am still waiting for the day when someone will stand up and say something. Believe something and fear nothing and stop assimilation into another lost mediocrity. or another forgotten sob story or another person drowned out by the sound of what they won’t be. Because there is more to life than 80 years of living unremarkably. You know they say that we all die the same. With a tombstone and a name, but no one lives enough to change anything on purpose because somewhere deep inside they still believe they're worthless and their inner code curses the very code they had at doing something worth it. So the burning for something great fades just like the strength of your lungs as the smoke penetrates your mind can disintegrate the thought of doing anything other than what you’re comfortable with. But, we're all the same. Aren't we? We don't want to follow but we're too scared to lead because no one wants to listen and no one wants to speak, so the silence becomes deadly. And its weaving your fears into a tapestry pressing against your airways and stopping you from breathing. But most importantly, it's stopping you from dreaming. And it's stopping you from believing that somewhere deep inside of you there is greatness. And I wish that I could make you believe this, I wish that I could look into your eyes and tell you that you can beat these unfortunate circumstances that have been handed to you for no good reason. Because I heard you say, I didn't even want this.I am broken. But we're all broken. And every one of us has invisible wounds left wide open all the while hoping that there was someone who would just pay attention. But you are never alone. And as surely as I believe that a hope that can mend my wounded soul. You. Are. Not. Alone. Because you know sometimes the lies we believe are the ones that we make up on our own because nothing holds you back better you do. And nothing keeps you quite better than what you've been through.  

We live in a world where we let our hate give us the excuse to not make a change. But excuses they can only hold the weight that you give them. And if one selfless act can bring someone free, than I will beat my drum to the rhythm of greatness. As long as I have breath in my lungs to say this. Apathy will always be the murder of all that breaths. And passivity will always be the extinguisher of all the worlds dreams and uncertainty is still the suffocation of every passion that is unreached. But love is the cure to all of these things. And you're only as great as you let yourself be. You'll only change lives if you lift up your head and see that there is someone beside you that wants to know they matter too. So all existence is waiting. It's holding its breath anticipating your next move. What will you do?  

...

Fly pressed his nose into Andrew’s shoulder as he finished adjusting his bridle with his hat in his mouth. He breathed on Andrew’s face, something he figured Fly had picked up from Alex and Daddy’s Overdraft.
“We’ve come a long way my friend.” Andrew smiled at Fly and paused for a moment. Steve was already out on the track, he was ‘giving Andrew and Fly some personal time before they worked’ was his excuse. “What do you think Fly? We ready to show the world what we’re made of?”
Andrew was met with another shove and a nibble on his short sleeved light blue shirt that sported the Grayson Meadows logo on the front. They’d had him based out of Green Horse Fields for the past two weeks so the colt was totally comfortable with his surroundings come race day.
“You know, when I was a boy, I never imagined I would get here. I was that sixteen year old kid helping around the barn and exercising horses for my grandpa dreaming of being a well known jockey. I never knew I would ride in the Turf Triple Crown.” He played with Fly’s lips and endured Fly’s excessive head bobs. The bay colt smacked his nose down on Andrew’s hand and his hide twitched with the anticipation for his impending workout.
Despite his awesome bloodlines, nothing had ever been handed to Fly on a silver platter. He had a lot of dings on his record that were nothing but long forgotten scars that he would bear for the rest of his life. One thing was for certain, it was a rough ride to get Fly where he was today, but it was all worth it. There was something about this horse that was great, there really was and he was going to do something big, Andrew had a gut feeling about him. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf was a turning point for Fly. He always knew he’d be a strong horse to face no matter where he went, but now Fly was one of the favorites for the Turf Triple Crown, if not the favorite. He had been very strong in his last few starts and he looked to be on a roller coaster that only goes up.
Andrew reached up and straightened the son of Merry Bay King’s forelock. “We should get going or we’ll miss our time on the track.” Andrew led the antsy colt over to a bucket and leaped onto his back. He instantly came alive, his body hummed to the rhythm of the track. His heart matched its beat with the drum of greatness.
Fly pranced the whole way out to the track, trotting sideways with his feet lifted much higher than necessary. He marched out onto the turf with his head tucked almost to his knees. Dark shadows cast over his body, revealing bulging muscles. His eyes blazed and his muscles thrummed beneath his tanut bay coat. Long gone was the colts baby fat. A look at him and one thing was for sure, he looked downright lethal. Andrew held the colt at a steady trot, although it was obvious that it was taking quite the effort. However, he looked like a horse that was on the break of something great.
The competition was stiff and the odds, well they didn’t much matter to anyone. The Kentucky Open was really anyones race. However, one can dream. Fly wasn’t a human, but who is to say horses don’t have dreams as well? He seemed to have an idea that he was about to run in something that could be lifechanging. As a matter of fact, he’d become a much more serious animal this season. It was a sign that Fly was maturing. Back in his two year old season the Kentucky Open was nothing more than a goal, a faint dream that they could see but never quite touch. By the end of his two year old season the team wasn’t even sure he was going to the Turf Triple Crown or not. And at the beginning of the season they had planned not to. But he started performing better. As the distances get longer, Fly becomes even more of a threat. So that lead them to now. Just a few short days from running in the biggest races of the season.
Andrew knew this horse could win the Kentucky Open, and in all reality, Fly very well could win the Kentucky Open. The only thing holding them back from this dream was themselves, the only thing that could ever stop you from achieving your dreams is yourself. Andrew had learned that the hard way but he learned in time that the first step in achieving your dream, is believing in yourself. Andrew believed in the animal beneath him, and he knew Fly believed in himself. They both believed that somewhere deep inside each other there was greatness, and that is what made them such a lethal combination on the track.
The warm up was over soon and Andrew had Fly loaded into the gate, which he did more than willingly. He was quiet and Andrew could feel his excitement radiating off of him in waves, he was practically jumping up and down and screaming at the top of his lungs.
“Easy,” Andrew said soothingly and grabbed a fistfull of his mane. The gates clanked open and Fly was out of them instantaneously. His legs covered large amounts of ground and once he got going he settled into a brisk easy pace. The bay colt slowed time down, demanding the eyes of everyone around him. His coal black mane whipped in the air like a dark flame. Fly looked every ounce the blue blooded animal he was.
The seven furlongs they’d planned for him was nearly over already. Clumps of turf flew in Fly’s wake, he was rattling off quick fractions like they were nothing. Andrew was smiling like a fool when they came into the final furlong and he let Fly have his whole head. The acceleration was instant. One of the many reasons why he loved this colt was because of this very closing kick he was experiencing right now. The one that could make up ten lengths in just a short few strides.
The wind whipped through Fly’s hair and whistled in Andrew’s ears as they hit the wire in a handy 1:21 2/5.