Two initial observations: 1) Rocky is the greatest movie franchise of all time and 2) of the Rocky anthology, Rocky V is the worst. Agree or disagree in part or in full with those two statements, but for now just roll with me on this. My frustration is that I can’t get Rocky V out of my head. Not the original, not Clubber Lang, not the Soviet – – V. The movie doesn’t even fit with the rest of the films. Here’s why it won’t leave my head and why I’m kinda ok with that.
I’m tired. Beat down. We’ve been in a donnybrook, a slobberknocker, fist a cuff, no holds barred battle royale with the debt dragon for just over three years. 37 months. 1121 days. I’ve rolled out of bed 1121 times with an edict to knock that dragon on his candy-tail. Friends, I’m not a machine. The dragon just won’t go down. Enter all the thoughts that the dragon uses to defeat you: you can’t win, something is gonna derail you, go to Disney World every month instead, get a football field full of flat panel TVs (I measured – we coulda did that). It’s all very book of Job, “curse God and die” sorta stuff.
Which brings us back to the climax of Rocky V. It occurs in the midst of a street fight between Rocky and his former protege. Rocky’s down. It appears to be over as his opponent starts to leave triumphantly. But, Rock gets up. The movie’s score picks up dramatically. He proclaims to his foe in his near unintelligible way, “I didn’t hear no bell” and then demands, “one more round.”
I didn’t hear no bell, dragon. This ain’t over yet. One more round. And by one more round, I mean one more year. The Royal Family has been very careful not to make a prediction as to when we’ll be debt free but for the mortgage. Here it is: One. More. Year. When goals are put in writing, you are held accountable to said goals. There is motivation in that. There is danger in that. The fear of failing publicly would be the danger for most. For some it would be the fear of inviting karmic drama. The real danger is being so afraid of accomplishing a goal that you stay down when you get hit instead of getting up for one more round.
