Pull the Trigger on Kuleana

When that gun fires at the Kentucky Derby, and the announcer says, "And they're off!" the energy is explosive everywhere; on the track, in the stands, in the very air everyone breathes.

There has been such anticipation for a race that people have known will be intense and intensely meaningful; the anticipation has built for weeks, perhaps even months. For the horses and the jockeys who have loved them, the anticipation has lasted years.

The Kentucky Derby is also anticipated as the social event of the season, and the hats women wear have become nearly as legendary as the race itself. This is not just an event: The Kentucky Derby represents tradition and heritage, and it is one that includes beauty, charm, grace and refinement on parade everywhere you look.

That is, until the gun fires.

For my goodness, when that gun does fire, all pretense is stripped away. There is an explosion of released energy that was waiting for this moment. It is time to focus on the horses, and honor the simple fact that they arrived at that starting line after a lifetime of preparing for it. It is time to relish and honor the learning, the training and the discipline of every owner, groomer and jockey, and every person who has had anything to do with this celebration of a kind of work that is truly one of those labors of love and of ancestry, tradition and heritage.

Women know there are two reasons their hats have gotten so wonderfully large over the years of the event. Absolutely yes for the big canvas a big hat provides, and so it can be seen from the balcony where so many watch them. But also for the coverage that exquisite hat gives, the sense of nobility and dignity, even if just for this one day.

And perhaps even to muffle the sound that escapes from a slender throat whose owner momentarily loses her composure, and her more proper restraint when that gun finally fires. This is the moment she — and everyone — had prepared so much for, and the energy created needs its release. She can't hold it in. She shouldn't: It's part of the magic.

All eyes are riveted on the track in that moment the gun fires. That famous line, "And they're off!" is sensed rather than heard above the thunderous beat of the hooves of each magnificent horse. When they surge forward out of the gate, you are sure you feel part of what they feel, and you wonder how it is possible that the jockey can hold on at all.

If you could tear your eyes away from the track for a moment however, and look instead at and into the faces in the stands, what you would see would be people in complete awe of the expression of Kuleana fulfilled. Within their awe, is a shared recognition of what it feels like when it feels so good.

Responsibility is one of the most universal values of them all, perhaps only second behind Aloha, love. Your Kuleana, your sense of personal responsibility, has been something you have prepared for expression your entire life. You prepare each day to pull the trigger and release the energy that makes magic happen for you.

That's what we'll be doing this month: Pulling the trigger.

Get ready for the explosiveness of it, for we have a lot to cover, and you will feel it.

"It is time to relish and honor the learning, the training and the discipline" of Kuleana, one's personal sense of responsibility. Mahalo for reading, and for being here for our study this month.

This is what we have done so far:

1. Kuleana, the Value of Personal Responsibility
2. Kuleana and our 5 Beat Rhythm: Beat 1 Questions to answer ~ for you. If you have not yet done so before, I urge you to try the exercise this month. This will be a great time to start, for there is an undeniably strong connection between Ho'ohana and Kuleana.

Photo Credits: Churchill Downs on Flickr by Jeff Kubina, and Hat 7 on Flickr by Velo Steve.

Comments

[Rocky]

WOW! What a great analogy. The Derby is full of passion,grace, elegance, excitement, and Most certainly KULEANA! It takes so much discipline and accountability to be a participant in this grand sport. Your depiction of the Derby and the events surrounding it is one of the best I have heard. Full of passion and excitement. I can't wait to hear more on this topic of Kuleana.

[Rosa Say]

Thank you Rocky! I did have fun with the analogy, though I know the Derby is months away (in May I believe.)

As an aside, I clicked into the KD's official website after I wrote this up, and the sound effects there made me think of Mary Poppins (the Julie Andrews/ Dick Van Dyke Disney version) where they jump into the chalk paintings and ride those merry-go-round horses through the countryside and end up in a Derby... it was a fun romp, but I was happy I wrote the post up first!

The "And they're off!" part is on the website too :)