Numero Uno

I don’t think I’ll ever get to be ‘Number One’, it must be an awesome feeling.

The feelings deep down inside tell me I was a rock star in a previous life. Or maybe there’s plans for a future version of me to be one. Standing in the lounge room with a pool cue as both my microphone and air guitar, I was convinced I’d be the next Bon Scott and Angus Young. But with no singing talent, unable to play an instrument and little stage presence it appears my ‘destiny’ thoughts to be top of the world this way were as warped as the well-worn 45 of AC/DCs Jailbreak.

My youngest is a musician. He must have been a Cabbage Patch kid, because he didn’t get it from either of his parents. Maybe not everything in the talent pool comes from genes, so there’s hope for him yet. Hope for us too, as I keep telling him he’s gotta write just one hit song, then we’ll all be sweet. I’m ready to retire to the tropical island to eat grapes and lie in a hammock. I wish he’d hurry up and churn out that catchy four-chord-wonder that’ll take him (us) to Number One. I’m not craving the fame, just a ride on his coat-tails for a little bit of fortune.

My two ‘talents’, and I use the word loosely, of being handy with numbers and knowing stupid trivia facts (mostly about music from the 80s) are hardly going to get me to the eating grapes scenario. My weekend warrior thing of loving my running is never going to amount to anything more than getting a ‘participation’ medal in the events I go in, especially as the guy with the pram ran past me again on Saturday at Parkrun. Sigh. 

I can only imagine and wonder what it’d be like to the world’s number one in anything. In sport, music, an academic field, in the Arts, anywhere. It’s been refreshing and thrilling to watch the exploits of three of Australia’s elite sportswomen over the past few weeks, as they ALL rocketed to number one in their chosen fields. Sally Fitzgibbons has finally cracked it for the big one in Surfing, after performing really well over the past few months, then winning a competition, holding up the trophy and etching her name amongst the legends of the sport. Her smile and enthusiasm have already won her millions of fans around the world, and now she’s backed it up with some cracking performances. Good on you Sal, you are just what we want in a hero.

In the lesser-known sport of Cliffdiving, Aussie Rhiannan Iffland won a record-breaking fourth title in Portugal in what looks like a ridiculously dangerous sport. In her interview after winning the event, she was modest, dynamic, enthusiastic and selfless as she proved to be a wonderful ambassador for both her sport and her country. Let’s hope the profile of this sport gets raised as this fab lady rules the world.

Then there’s Ash. ‘Our’ Ash Barty. A classic case of things not being about the size of the dog in the fight (read last week). Now, NUMBER ONE in the tennis world. The first since ‘our’ Yvonne in the 70s. French Open winner, ready to kick butt for years to come. She’s scrambled her way to top as only an Aussie battler does. Again humble, gracious and grateful of her opportunities. The (not so) new darling of Australia. If the gods of karma are watching and listening, they’ll reward your hard work fabulously unpretentious nature with a few more Slams. How good is it to have some real heroes setting a fine example? I know, I’ll be number one in the world at appreciating how good they are. Done.