Samhain Thanksgiving Moon
Watched two documentary type movies: The Go Master and First Saturday in May. The first about a Chinese go master who lived in Japan during the years of World War II. The second about the Kentucky Derby.
On the surface of course these movies were, quite literally, worlds apart. The quiet, almost religious world of professional go, played in tatami matted rooms with exquisite stone gardens nearby. Asian. Filled with deferral. Lots of tea. On the other hand, the white steepled haunts of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The long brass horns of the race track. The equally brassy trainers and owners. Big hats, sweet tea and Jack Daniels. And, horses. Large, muscled, fast.
Yes, those surface differences are there. Surfaces matter of course, we all know they do. Perception, as many political strategists say, is everything.
Yet. The thoroughbred straining at the starting gate and the kimono clad go master gathering his first stones in his hand are the same. A single focus. To win the contest. Rituals and traditions that surround both activities, though different in length of historical precedence. The time to prepare for excellence cannot be shortened. Both represent central aspects of their particular cultures.
