Nup

 "What are your doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?"

"I might sleep in, go to the gym, do some writing, torment the cat, go for a walk, maybe see a movie."

"You're not watching the race?"

"Nup."

"Or going to a barbeque."

"Nup. There are better reasons to eat charred meat and drink beer."

"You don't commemorate this all-hallowed day?"

"Nup. It's a gazetted day off, I can't do anything about it. I live in Melbourne, I'm not allowed to work. We never had the day off when I was a kid, but I'm from Adelaide. I think we had another horse race day when I was a child."

"Have you ever watched the Cup?"

"Not since I was a child. I have no interest. It's a horse race. I'm not into horse racing. I don't like the gambling. For all the good owners and trainers, there are a lot of bad ones too. It's a rich people's sport idolised by the poor. Why would I want anything to do with horse racing?"

"Okay."

"I'm not stopping anybody else doing something for it, I just don't see the point of it. Like the day off before the AFL grand final."

"You're not into sport then?"

"Not really."

"That's a bit un-Australian."

"If that's so, strip me of my Australian passport and send me to England or France. I don't care."

I had a version of this conversation three times today. 

I have no interest in horse racing.

I'm not fond of the reports of animal cruelty you hear from race tracks (and I know it's not all trainers and stables - just like not all men beat their partners.)

I don't like how the day glorifies gambling and drinking. 

I think that as a community we can move past what might have been worth celebrating 100 years ago and find new things to commemorate, in keeping with the times. 

I say Nup to the Cup. 

Not stopping anybody else doing anything. 

It's just not for me. 

Today's song