He was my Secretariat.

So I was without wi-fi the other night and had to watch a DVD.  So I popped Secretariat in and enjoyed it's beautifully-shot, extremely flawed story telling of a real life equine superhero.  I mean, if you know anything about The Meadow and Secretariat and Penny Chenery at all, you'd know how overly Disney-fied that movie is, and how they left out Riva Ridge and all the other successes The Meadow had in order to make that story seem more like a rags-to-riches underdog tale.

Gag me.  Penny Chenery and The Meadow were badasses, and Secretariat (and Riva Ridge!) was the product of said badassery.  Just stop it, Disney.

But that's another rant for another blog entry.

I still get teary-eyed watching the Belmont scenes in that movie.  I still get teary-eyed watching the footage of the actual Secretariat in the actual 1973 Belmont Stakes.  What that horse gave not only The Meadow and his connections, but the entire American public, was unimaginable.  It was not just an athletic masterpiece, it was a display of pure heart.  Of class.  Of an animal giving every thing he has, every last ounce of effort, because he wants to.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the most beautiful thing on earth.

I still think about Soonie daily.  October the 14th marked the two-year mark of when he first got sick and had colic surgery.  I'm trying not to dwell on the impending date of 12 November, which will be the two year mark (anniversary sounds like the wrong word?) of his death.  That month between was the worst, most traumatic time in my life.  Things have not been great since with very unfortunate family problems that started not long after Soonie passed away.  Sig makes me happy, and some days I feel like I am moving on with my life.  I am successful at work, I have a bright future in all aspects...but some days I can't stand how much I miss Soon.  Watching Secretariat, it was one of those days.

I guess it was nostalgia that sent me to my YouTube channel.  I guess it was nostalgia that made me click on the one race video I have of him.  But I had forgotten what a spectacular run this was.  It was a statement.  It was his final win on the track.  He decided that day to go out and give everything he had.  In the end, he put in a Secretariat-like performance (in a field of $2,500 claimers, let's not get ahead of ourselves lol).  He went out in style, just like everything else he did.

Thank you, Brother.  Thank you for giving me everything you had, in everything we did.  Thank you for saving my life.  I am so sorry I could not do the same for you.

He was my Secretariat.