...IF YOU CAN RISK IT ALL ON A TURN OF THE PITCH AND TOSS ...

... AND YOU UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS TO HAPPEN SHOULD YOU LOSE ...

... would you do it anyway?

On the "greater than" post I made the other day, there was a comment that went 'Boxing > MMA'. Of course, I could not agree more! Thought it may have been redundant coming from me, but it got me to thinking about my favourite scene from the first 'Rocky' movie (though once you got to know me, you'd know there was ONLY one Rocky movie!!) when Mick goes to Rocky's apartment to find out if the Rock would let Mickey work with him.

Mick comes into Rocky dump of a place ... he'd never been to his place before, and almost immediately alienates the Rock, by remarking his pet turtles would make a 'good soup'. Mick soliloquizes about his experiences and his boxing, leading him to what he thinks makes a difference between fighters, going as far as comparing his fight on the same night of a Dempsey fight being a small difference of managing (which, it could be said it was, were it a real story!) and that he wants Rocky to avoid that fate by providing him with guidance and representation as a manager.

Now Rocky is leery of course at Mick's motives. Not leery as much as he is resentful. Mick has thrown him into the heap of 'as the wind blows' fighters in the gym, taking away the privilege of a permanent locker. He has berated him along with this humiliation in front of the entire gym, which can be quite humbling. It is a fall from grace that is a bitter as they come.

THE IRONY OF THAT MOVIE, IS THAT IT DOES HAPPEN LIKE THAT!

In fact, one of the things that brought this to mind is a phone call I made recently, to a bookie/manager who has a fighter that I lost to, but continued to climb the ratings. He is a decent ham 'n egg fighter, and is a 'fringe guy', who has beaten some quality cats, but no one to make you stop and take notice. I still follow boxing a little, and I went into my old phone book and gave him a call.

Looking at all the names ... and the notes by them ... the names of fights I had and words like 'promoter' capitalized started the wistfulness that had me You Tube this scene. It is a seven minute scene, but it capture so much about relationships between a couple.

Mickey tries to make himself equal to Rocky, but he is stopped cold when he is told that 'he ain't go no locker' in response to his buttering with a comparison of Rocky to Rocky Marciano.

THE FIGHT IS SET

When I think about partnerships, a lot of them go thru things like this. Sometimes that is how I feel about Nebraska. Thing are coming together slowly, with or without her. But it is the same for ANY relationship, friends or in a bonded relationship.

The things that I can't buy ... if I have to do without them, I will. Right now, she is like Mick outside Rocky's bathroom door. When Rocky looked for his help, he wasn't there for him. At all.

I feel like Rocky as Mickey walks down the stairs, raging at the reality of his situation. Rocky knows, he knows, he really knows ... that he is going to get THIS, and THIS ...

... and he also knows that if he is going to give his best effort, he is going to have to 'get over it' and let Mickey be a part of his preparations. He knows that this is a chance that comes around once if at all, in a lifetime. He may as well give it his best shot, so that he has no more questions.

That is why I have decided to make the executive decision at granting Nebraska the person, a 'pass'. Mind you, it is an 'at will' authorization. It can be revoked as easily as taking a breath. Again, going with the question of whether or not should I tell her I have my ticket to do my reconnaissance of my objective. It is with a deep breath that I tell myself that I will need some help ... HER HELP in getting settled and all.

It is more than me not wanting to possibly impact her life, but the impact she is going to have on MY LIFE, that makes me leery of wanting to bother her for help. Where ever she ends up, I still will need to make myself self sufficent, and acknowledging that is going to be 'of a fashion' instead of what I have come to know is something that is still a process in making.

I forget that I need help, then I just forget. I think I am at speed, then someone with a cane walks by faster than I do. Yeah Rocky, I am with you ... I too, 'know what I'm gonna get'.

But I am going to go downstairs and run after 'Mickey', and smooth things over. Go to bed and start the next day getting after the get after!!