But how much of the outcome is determined by chance? How much of it is of the “what will be, will be” scheme? I don’t know the answer, but I do know that we’re all familiar with the phrase “races aren’t won on paper.” There is a reason that phrase exists, and maybe that’s where coincidence, luck, and yeah, serendipity come in.
I love being back here in Chicago so, so, so very much. Sitting in these enormous grandstands and absorbing the sunshine before everything kicks into obnoxiously high gear, watching the dedicated NRHA Safety Safari workers preparing the track, breathing this air that will soon give life to a mess of horsepower. It’s a little bit of magic that I don’t want to lose. This very moment feels like a win.
Peggy Llewellyn is here, back on a Pro Stock Motorcycle for the first time since 2008. I was in Dallas when she got her first win, and that historic moment is something I will never forget. I interviewed her for a story on Friday morning, and she was so gracious, and just so very grateful (yes, I wrote that in the story). She has been so patient, but she always knew she was coming back to this dream when the time was right. Toward the end of our conversation, I asked her about expectations, and this is where it got really real for me.
She said told me that she’s a competitor, but for right now, winning looks different for her. Re-licensing was a win. Sponsorship to get here was a win. Making her first pass on Friday, that was going to be a win. She said, “I still want to hoist a trophy, but I’m not going to try to grab everything all at one time. I want to enjoy the journey, too.”
You guys.
We all have a goal, we have tremendous expectations, and most of us do everything we can to try to control the outcome. The target is what drives a lot of us. But whew boy have I ever been witness to serendipity this weekend. There have been so many moments over the past few days where I’ve just sat and thought, okay, universe or god or whatever – I see you.
I guess what I’m trying to string together here is that what Peggy said, along with a bunch of serendipitous, standout moments, has given me a cool little reset here in the Windy City. You can call your shot, put your head down, and power toward it, but don’t miss the wins along the way. The moments where someone up there is giggling and shifting the scene, when all you can do is throw your hands up and laugh. Be in those moments. Count them as wins. Hopefully, you can use them as building blocks towards hoisting the trophy, whatever that may be for you.
See you out there.
Categories: Musings, Uncategorized
Kelly Wade 