Dear ACCT004 class,

“You’ve got to want to do it for the right reasons.”

It’s Week 4 and I know that the “weather” is getting rougher.. I hope our excursion together to the “beach” has been nice:

Let’s all learn from the wisdom of Rocky’s virtuous wife Adrian: We all have “got to want to do it for the right reasons”. Her profound pep talk to Rocky is reproduced below.

The Rocky spirit transcends the notion of “winning” or “losing” – it’s about going the distance. Perhaps our hearts may be made tired by time and fate, but our will should not – and must not – waver. It takes struggles in life to make strength, it takes principles to make fortitude, and singleness of purpose to reach an objective. Every intentional act of body, speech and mind is like seed planted that will grow when the conditions are right; thus as you sow and work hard and set your Heart on Fire, you shall reap.

We are all Rockys in this journey of Life and let’s encourage your friends and one another to excel in both the course and in SMU!

Hey, I ain’t hear no bell!

Warm regards,

KB

Adrian: Can I talk to you? I wanna ask you something important and I want you to tell me the Truth.

Rocky: What?

Adrian: Why did you come here?

Rocky: I just don’t want it no more.

Adrian: If it’s over because you want it to be over, I’m glad.

Rocky: I do.

Adrian: It’s just you’ve never quit anything since I’ve known you.

Rocky: I don’t know what you want me to say. I mean, what happened? How did everything that was so good get so bad?

Adrian: What’s so bad? Tell me, what?

Rocky: I wrecked everything by not thinking for myself. Why couldn’t Mickey tell me where it was right from the start? He didn’t have to lie to me and carry me and make me think I was better than I really was when I wasn’t.

Adrian: He never lie.

Rocky: Those fights weren’t right. They weren’t, Adrian. I never fought anybody who was all in their prime. It was always some angle to hold on to the title longer than I should’ve had it. Do you understand what I’m saying here?

Adrian: I understand, but you’ve gotta understand… that he loved you and that was his job – protecting you.

Rocky: But that protecting don’t help nothing. It only makes things worse. You wake up after a few years thinking you’re a winner but you’re not. You’re really a loser. We wouldn’t have had the title as long. So what? At least it would’ve been real, Adrian.

Adrian: It was real!

Rocky: Nothing is real if you don’t believe in who you are! I don’t believe in myself no more! Don’t you understand? When a fighter don’t believe, that’s it! He’s finished! It’s over! That’s it!

Adrian: That’s not it! Why don’t you tell me the Truth?

Rocky: What are you putting me through, Adrian? You wanna know the Truth? The Truth is I don’t wanna lose what I got. In the beginning, I didn’t care about what happened to me. I go the ring, I’d get busted up. I didn’t care. But now there’s you, the kid. I don’t wanna lose what I got!

Adrian: What do we have that cant be replaced? What! A house, we got cars, we got money. We got everything but the Truth! What’s the Truth, damn it?

Rocky: I’m afraid, all right? You wanna hear me say it? You wanna break me down? I am afraid! For the first time in my life, I’m afraid!

Adrian: I’m afraid too. There’s nothing wrong with being afraid.

Rocky: There is. For me there is.

Adrian: You’re human, aren’t you?

Rocky: I don’t know what I am. All I know is I’m a liar and because of that, Mickey ain’t here no more.

Adrian: You didn’t push him into anything! He was a grown man and he did what he had to do! And you have no right to feel guilty for what happened. You don’t! You’re a champion and you did what you were expected to do and you did what I and everybody else thought you should do. And you wanna tell me those fights weren’t real, that you were carried? Well, I don’t believe it! But it doesn’t matter what I believe… because you’re the one that’s gotta carry that Fear around inside you… afraid that everybody’s gonna take things away… afraid that you’re gonna be remembered as a coward… that you’re not a man anymore. Well, none of it is true. But it doesn’t matter if I tell you. It doesn’t matter because you’re the one that’s gotta settle it. Get rid of it, because when all the smoke has cleared and everyone’s through chanting your name, it’s just gonna be us. You can’t live like this. We can’t live like this. Because this is gonna bother you for the rest of your life. Look what it’s doing to you now. Apollo thinks you can do it. So do I. But you’ve got to want to do it for the right reasons… not for the guilt over Mickey, not for the people, not for me, not for the title, not for money or me. But for you. Just you. Just you alone.

Rocky: And if I lose?

Adrian: Then you lose. But at least you lose with no excuses, no fear. And I know you can live with that.

Rocky: How’d you get so tough?

Adrian: I live with a fighter.

Rocky: I really love you. I love you.