When I was younger, my family and I would migrate to our basement to watch a movie together. While the genres varied form week to week, the preparation for the movie was relatively the same week in and week out. Dad popped the popcorn and put it in the specified plastic bowl, while my brother grabbed big cups of water for everyone. I sometimes had the privilege of popping the popcorn, but usually I could be seen running downstairs to prep the couch and blankets, turning on the stereo and TV, waiting for everyone else to come downstairs and make a group decision about our featured film. We would watch classics, like Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and the big hit Natinal Lampoons: Animal House.
One night, my dad convinced my brother and I to watch Rocky one week. I was hesitant at first; what would I like about seeing Stallone punch a cow hide in a meat warehouse? I sat down, nestled between the my brother and my dad, popcorn bowl nearby, and snuggled in a thick blanket. The opening credits rolled, and I settled in for the next hour and a half.
When the final credits rolled, my brother and I had been jumping up and down, yelling at the screen, fist pumping, cheering on Rocky to "Keep going!, "One more punch!", "C'mon!". The movie had blown my mind, made me sweat, made me anxious, and made me lean forward in anticipation of the next jab. The one scene that had me the most breathless, the most on-the-edge-of-my-seat, was the scene where Rocky, already exhausted from his montage of workouts, faced his final obstacle: the infamous flight of stairs. He charged at it, running full speed, muscles pumping, the searing pain that must have seeped into his thighs as he continued to climb higher and higher. The theme song blasts in the background, his arms pump as he climbs the final set of steps.
And he makes it. He gets there, winded as hell, but he's there. He's finally made it to the top. But while it's an accomplishment on it's own to climb the stairs, it was symbolic of Rocky's road to the top of the world, taking control of his life, taking action and making something better of the situation he faced. Rocky was a damn good movie. But it means something a little different to me now.
Finals are coming. Midterms are still occurring. Papers are due and all-nighters are being pulled. Coffee is being consumed in massive quantities. As the winter quarter draws to a close, the stress begins to mount, and students are beginning to feel more and more incompetent. Finals have the power to make the strongest of us feel belittled somehow. Essays have us head-in-hands stressed out, fighting outbursts of rage, frustration, or just plain defeat.
But you're not alone, and you never have been. In fact, you are Rocky. These next few weeks are your flight of stairs. The finals, the essays, the all-nighters, the coffee buzzes, the tears I know I've fought when the clock strikes 3 am and my cursor still blinks on a blank page. But turning in the essay, or even just finishing it- that's your Rocky moment. Finishing the exam, finishing an all-nighter, completing the one task you didn't think you could- that's your Rocky moment.
To anyone struggling to complete a paper, you are enough.
To anyone panicking about that one final, or three or four, you are enough.
To anyone awake during the wee hours of the night, reading over a passage too dense for comprehension, you are enough.
To anyone whose stresses aren't even school related, whether it's anxiety or depression, or anything that keeps you from thinking you are the absolute greatest person alive, you are enough.
Remember that we are all working towards our Rocky moment. Put in the work now, and the end product will be nothing but reward. Gauchos are a closely knit family, and we always look out for each other. No matter what you feel, no matter how alone you feel, know that there is another in the same boat as you. And they're there to help you reach the top of your stairs. They're here to help you reach your Rocky moment.
