Melbourne Cup-itis

I can’t tell a quinella from quinoa and horses scare me a bit. But every November, I still find myself shouting at the TV or hugging strangers.

One year on Melbourne Cup day, I found myself alone at home.  I was knee deep in a frustrating report that wouldn’t be finished without a fight.  Race time gave me an excuse to sneak off for a desperately needed break. 

My two dogs and I plonked down in front of the telly.  Truthfully, I can’t tell a quinella from quinoa and horses scare me a bit.   But I still found myself shouting the name of a horse I didn’t know existed an hour ago, hugging my slightly concerned dogs and getting a bit teary over the winning jockey’s victory speech.

While I calmed down with a soothing glass of champagne (which made the report seem far more achievable) I realised I’d contracted Melbourne Cup-itis yet again.  November shows up so Australians throw their worries away and back a horse because of the colour of its jockey’s shirt! 

Just by having a few horses run around a track a couple of times, this monumental horse race is able to:

·         Drive normally sedate people to yell, wave their arms about and hug relative strangers.

·         Convince people to risk their hard-earned money on one of the most unpredictable races in the world.

·         Make lots of people very happy, even when they discover they spent their money on a horse that turned out to be a donkey.

What if we decided to have Melbourne Cup-itis on a few other days of the year?  You don’t even need a horse.  It’s just a matter of capturing that Melbourne Cup feeling, so you:

·         Decide to unflinchingly back yourself (or your team), even when the odds aren’t good.  Don’t stop shouting until you’re past the finishing post.

·         Decide to just give some things a go.  Win or lose, it’ll be an exhilarating ride you’ll never forget.

·         On some days, appreciate the amazing effort it takes for you (or your team) just to turn up and compete.

·         Celebrate your successes (which doesn’t just mean being the winner) wildly and loudly!

And just like the Melbourne Cup, come back again the next year and do it all again.