Half-time

Well K-mart shoppers, we’re halfway through 2007. I decided to take a brief hiatus from these pages in conjunction with the year’s mid-point and 4th of July week. Every blogger needs an occasional breather.

Not to worry, I’ve got plenty of petrol in the tank for the second half of the year. As always, you’re guaranteed to hear about all my happenings in this forum or on Court TV (contract rights pending).

But before we hurl ourselves forward, a look back at the year’s first 185 days. I will attempt to grade myself a tad along the way.

Four months have passed since my time south of the equator, but my affinity for all things Buenos Aires has not waned. Not in the least. That trip could be my best decision to date in life. Ahora debo volver (now, I must return).

I’m hoping my next sojourn to Buenos Aires will be of the extended variety. I’ve been practicing my Spanish with aspirations of utilizing my second, underdeveloped tongue. Readers: hold me to Argentina. As you know, there’s nothing like a good gay foam party.

It has been a good year for me and horse racing. Wagering has been profitable, but more importantly, I’ve spent a respectable amount of time along the rail. I even visited two international tracks down Argentina way. Plus, it was a terrific Triple Crown season, capped off by Rags to Riches historic Belmont victory. In short, there’s plenty of reason for excitement as the ponies head for the far turn in ‘07. It’s five weeks until the Arlington Million and from there the Breeder’s Cup banter will begin. Stay tuned.

I’m especially pleased with the time spent with friends and family this year. I’m old enough to have attended too many unexpected funerals. One is too many, and I’m already in the “greater than one” column. All the more reason to prioritize loved ones in the now. My travels this year to the Knobs, Miami, Indy, and Michigan have been ultra rewarding. Not to mention all the terrific times in the windy city. Still, there’s no reason to rest; another worthwhile excursion is always right around the corner. We can take the midnight train going anywhere.

On the flip side, I have failed miserably in an important category this year: momentum. Momentum in life is everything. It’s critical to feel life consistently edging forward (whatever the implications may be). I’ve had plenty of acceleration this year, but I haven’t figured out the sustainability angle. I’m the Golden State Warriors of the NBA: hitting on all cylinders one day, getting blown out of the gym the next. I’ve got to do better in this category in the second half of the year.

On the national scene there’s an unending war and a presidential race on the horizon. Frankly, I’m surprised that more elected leaders haven't demanded a near-term withdrawal from Iraq. I realize it’s a mess and that leaving isn’t going to be easy. But will it ever be? At what point does a Congressman or Senator say enough is enough?

There are no right answers in war, but it surprises me that as a nation we are still rather passive in calling for retraction. 3606 Americans have been killed in Iraq. That’s 600 more than died in the twin towers. But most of us don't visualize the roadside bombs that kill everyday soldiers. Their deaths don’t haunt us at night.

That’s all I’m going to say on the war. I’m not looking for a debate. I do think that Ronald Reagan was onto something when he said that “history teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.” I also side with Plato in agreeing that “only the dead have seen the end of war.”

Regardless, war will resurface again; it is a constant for all ages. Misplaced or otherwise.

The election, on the other hand, is a topic which I find entirely worthy of discussion. As some of you know, I worked on Barack Obama’s Senatorial campaign in 2003 and 2004. In March of 2004 I hosted a fundraiser for Barack in a small pub in downtown Chicago. Three meteoric years later, he’s a viable candidate for the White House. In actuality, Barack’s political ascent doesn’t surprise me. I’m planning to dedicate an entire blog entry to my first encounters with the good Senator from Illinois and my take on his political future.

I’ll also devote an entire entry to New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg -- a man who will influence the Presidential race in a significant and unprecedented manner. There will be a deluge of editorials about Bloomberg in the coming months. Many will hone in on a singular question: is he a king or a king-maker?

Incredibly, I think he might be both.

Finally, I’ll argue a case for admiring the rejuvenated career of Newt Gingrich as a political juggernaut and Washington personality. I have an admitted fascination with Newt. I also think he genuinely understands the problems, and more importantly the realities, facing our nation’s healthcare system. Don’t kid yourself: voters care about their healthcare. This issue (and Newt) will affect the presidential race.

Regardless of your political persuasions, I’ll make you a guarantee: by the end of 2008 you will wish Congress had passed meaningful campaign finance reform laws. The amount of advertising and canvassing is going to reach unprecedented levels. This will be a billion dollar presidential race. That is a boatload of 30 second ads. Set your Tivo now (for everything!).

In another realm, as a group we need to direct our positive ions towards the intersection of Waveland and Addison Avenues in Chicago (Wrigley Field). We must will the Cubs into the post-season. September and October are glorious months in their own right (can anyone say “College Gameday”), but they are near perfection when your baseball team is in the playoffs. The NL Central is bordering pathetic levels this year; it’s time for the Cubs to cash in (just don’t whisper the names “Mark Prior” or “Kerry Wood” in my vicinity unless you want to swim with the fishes).

Finally, I’m less than two weeks from birthday numero 30. Where have all the flowers gone? I’m guessing there will be plenty of contemplation in the Chowder as my third decade goes bye-bye. At the same time, I’ll be submitting a proposal to everyone I know that will read something like this: “From this moment on we collectively agree to stop counting the years (Sign on the dotted line or prepare for a bloodbath. Humbly Yours, Michael Fields).”

Sounds reasonable, right?

In truth, I’m hoping for continued health and happiness in the coming decade (that extends to everyone I know). I’m also hoping to get that momentum piece figured out. I need more balance and steadiness to my days.

For now, I want to sign off by thanking everyone who frequents this site. Thanks for listening to me ramble. Thanks for writing in with comments, whether correlated to haberdasheries or horse racing. Thanks for sticking with me through three decades of life on the planet. And a final thanks in anticipation, because I know our coals will burn even brighter over the next thirty years.