Tuesday, September 1, 2009

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN ..?

...HAPPENS?

Prologue:
Friday night, the 'knock out king' Randall Bailey fought Juan Urango for Urango's 140 lbs. title. It was a classic match-up of styles. I think of both of them as a little unpolished, but in different ways. Bailey is unpolished, 'unfinished' if you will. His approach is more classic, working behind a jab and a straight right hand. But maybe BECAUSE of the effectiveness of his straight right, he never developed an entire repetoire of punches and boxing skills.

The champion Urango is nicknamed 'the Iron Twin'. Yes, he does have a twin brother who boxes. But just as people were quick to nickname Mike Tyson, 'Iron Mike', for a similar reason Juan is nicknamed 'the Iron Twin'. His style is straightforward and he hacks away at you with wide, clubbing punches. Staying with the 'cutting' motif, the difference between them is that one fighter is like a being sliced at with a sword while the other swings a broad axe.

The first five rounds were tense and competitive. Bailey made good use of his left and his better foot work to keep the champ on the outside. Urango, would occasionally get in close but couldn't set up inside because being that close also meant that he was in range for Bailey and Randall would let that right hand fly. The threat of that punch kept the champion fairly honest and he wasn't in full 'Iron Twin' mode.

The sixth round was a piviotal round in my mind, because I felt that Bailey could take a commanding 4-2 lead in the fight. That meant over the last half of the bout that Urango would have to take more chances and would be even more open for Bailey's right hand. I would be prescient in that round, as Bailey set up and delivered a titanic straight right hand in the first minute of the round that knocked the champion down, cut him under the right eye AND bloodied his nose. One punch. That is what is meant by 'world-class power'.

Though the champion went down with a thud that I could feel through the television screen, he got up at a count of 'six'. And after a few anxious moments in the next 20-30 seconds afterwards, he was as good as can be expected for a fighter who had gotten floored by a tremedous puncher, at the end of the round he was taking it TO Bailey.

He'd start REALLY getting after the 'knock out king' in the seventh round. This would continue until the end of the tenth, where a tired and beaten Bailey, who by this time had been down twice himself, had the fight stopped in his corner. The champion, who in spite of his always coming forward style, knew that if he walked into a Bailey right hand, it was entirely possible that unlike other fighters he fought, would hurt him and possibly knock him out, got hit with one of those right hands. And as bad as it was, he survived.

That was the worst thing that could have happened, and it happened. He got up, saw that it wasn't the devestating thing that it could have been, and with a zeal that he didn't have, resumed the fight and won the bout.

FAITH IS A COMBINATION OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS.

Because I am agnostic, often I feel awkward when describing how 'faith' plays a role in my life. But it does, and right now I feel as though I am in the midst of what I had hoped for coalescing into a reality. This is a reality that I always believed was possible, and I knew that it would happen. Long time readers know that I have had enough 'checks', where I make sure that I am following my course and that the course I have charted was sound.

From my initial plan, I find myself involved with a 'Darkhorse' in the race to reach my goal. It was awkward at first because everything happened so suddenly, developing over a matter of days. To get to where I was at the end of May had taken me 18 months to get there. What it meant to me, was that THIS is what I was ready for. I had just made my reservations (which may be non-refundable, thank you very much!) to go out west, when my SFC came into my life.

Don't want to step on any toes, but I have always thought that when you ask for something from 'whoever', you should be as specific as possible. Include as many details as you can, try to cover as much ground as possible, because what you ask for, is what you will get. I look no further than my own life, from being a little bitty brother, being bounced around in pee-wee hockey, to sitting in a ring in Las Vegas, wearing blood, spit and boxing gloves.

I had hoped to do many of the things that I have gotten the chance to do. I asked to be married young, I asked to go to college, I have asked for a lot of things. And you know what? I have gotten them, or better said I have recieved the opportunity to make the most of my chances at them.

Noah and the Ark is a story I like to think about when I am setting off in a new direction in my life. People laughed at him and thought he was a fool. Noah, kept to his faith and let his actions speak for themselves. There was a method to his foolishness, his 'madness' even, and when people saw it, it was too late.

I tried to find where I set off on the course in my life, but I wasn't making use of 'tags' when I started off on this long journey nearly two years ago ... see, it was shortly after my darling brother passed that I had enough of Mookie and her crap. I was committed to her, and I would like to think that I showed her how much I wanted our relationship to work. Whatever was on her mind, I can't be specific. I know what was reflected by her actions, and they showed me that I had to get gone!

IF THE RULE YOU FOLLOWED BROUGHT YOU TO THIS, WHAT GOOD WAS THE RULE? - Anton Chigurh

And that is why it is so important to be as specific as you can be, with reasons to support what decisions you make to achieve your goals. Your hopes will be delivered unto you according to what you asked for and your actions to support whatever it is you want.

I like to think that I was pretty clear in defining what it is that I wanted out of life. I want the opportunity to go back to college, get a degree and go into education. I want the chance to sit down somewhere and write some kind of book, script or short stories. I want to have another shot at being in love and my overarching goal is to simply be happy.

That is a lot to ask for. But that is what I want. Of course there are details under each major portion of my 'outline for life', the roman numerals. But I want to get into the 'being in love' portion, what that meant to me.

Because I felt that I had shown many people, literally all over the country enough character to where they could have had feelings for me that they haven't acted on, I allowed for 'a Darkhorse', someone who I may not be aware of and in whose life I am involved in without my knowing it, to come and factor directly in my life. See, 'Men plan and God laughs', is another way to put the idea of trying to be ready for anything that may happen.

And anything happened. Not only did it, it happened in the way that I had hoped it would happen, after all the dust began to settle. For real.

3 comments:

betty said...

it would be cool to watch a fight with you, Mark; you would "dissect" it like you did this one; telling us strategy, showing us the boxers' weaknesses, etc. forgive me for saying this, but when I watch a fight, I just see two men hitting each other; nothing with strategy, timing, training, etc. plays into it.

I think I go the opposite of you in what I pray for, Mark, but probably because I'm not agnostic and believe in the one True God I believe in. I pray for His will and to glorify him; but I have prayed specific prayers in the past so I understand where you are coming from. I also read/heard some place that it is good not to limit God in what you pray for, perhaps he had something better in mind for you, beyond your wildest imagination, but he chose to answer what you just prayed for

the important thing is you have gotten your wish to be happy spending your life with someone you love and someone who loves you; and that is a very good thing :)

betty

Ken Riches said...

When opportunity knocks, we can only hope that we are ready to answer the call. I am glad that you have done all you needed to do to answer this latest call :o)

Beth said...

Hmm, sort of like the best laid plans of mice and men...? I think your key, Mark, and maybe one of your best traits, could very well be your adaptability. Setting a goal, forming a plan, but the ability to change course as necessary. I'm guessing that it has served you well over the years, and continues to do so. Hugs, Beth