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Fiction Inspirational High School

Philadelphia, June 19th 1976. The long road seems not come to an end. It’s a long road, when you’re on your own. And it hurts when tey tear your dreams apart. And every new town, just seems to bring you down. Trying to find, peace of mind, can break your heart. It’s a real war, right outside your front door. I tell ya, out where they’II kill ya, you could use a friend. Where the road is, that’s the place for me. Where I’m me, in my own space, where I’m free. That’s the place, I want to be. Cause the road is long and each step is only the beginning. No breaks, just heartaches. Oh man, is anybody winning?

No, it’s not about a soldier who walk a long road to do a mission by himself, but only 15 years old teenager walk around the street, the same place Rocky Balboa the boxer’s running track. He just like the song. His name is Jim Burton. A high school student from West Philadelphia high school, first year just after graduated from middle school. Still on vacation on his knee, walking around the streets pretending as walking Rocky. Live on a small grey flat but really neat with minimalist decoration. Just remember everything goes into him till the bottom of his life journey. As a freak looking good kid, always asks friends about assigmments, even what to do and what to bring. Everyday he’s through pretty hard, only because of his own mind. Somehow the bag bring everyday just like people going to the airport to somewhere, or living on the school. All Jim want just to graduated as fast as possible, then let away of these memories. The truth is not as easy as it seems. No easy way out. Regretneess haunted mind. Imagine if could overcome illusion of anxiety, the reputation would be really great road. More respect from everyone, no one gossiping negativity behind the back. Burning heart, burnout. These times, the only one brother unintentionally bring confidences back, to stand up fom himself. The only false thoughts only one, “Revenge”. But somehow this thoughts make him even stronger, jacked up hatreds even more and more. Thirsty of vengeance, hatreds turn out to strengthen up until recent time. Worse effect only felt really long time after that. Ah, wonder what screw up his mind. Tommy Burton, an optimistic nihilistic guy, 25 years old. Work as a liar boxer on the liar ring too. Always win till this time. Don’t want to get into bigger purpose as a next step to be a profeional boxer who make more money. Salary from it enough to pay the flat rent with Jim, eat, pay electrically bill, even Jim’s school bill. Payed $10 per round, each day fight as much as he could. Luckily, this is means hobby to him so Tommy really enjoy it with a nickname “Flow Mullet” due to a good looking blonde mullet hair, high level of agility and balance movement, looks so beautiful. Every day goes to mini market to buy daily needs, especially white breads with familiar trade mark, “Balboa’s Cut”. Apparently Rocky Balboa opened a new business in addition to his fame after fighting Apollo Creed, namely the white bread business. So often, remember the number of pieces of each plastic wrap with the owner's celebration logo on the ring. The cashier's wavy blonde hair caught his attention, stroking his hair after shopping. The woman seemed to be enjoying it while pretending to be unconscious. It's ridiculous when someone doesn't realize they're being touched like that. It's a vain pretense. It is certain that the neighborhood where he lives is familiar with "Flow Mullet" who is said to have not cut his hair for 5 years even though he has been offered many times by Paulie, a loyal barber who has worked for more than 30 years, he is 60 years old, with normal hair that is dyed the middle is hollow, with an annoying style of speaking like belittling and inviting a fight at the same time. Once upon a time, one of the victims of Tommy's beating, namely Clubber, came home with a red face. With Random Paulie saying, “Stay out of my face”, Clubber who was still in pain mixed with anger pushed him to the ground, lucky not to have been hit. It turns out that Jim is secretly following the healthy lifestyle of a fighter like his older brother, Tommy. Starting from waking up at 04:00 AM, running through his neighborhood to the Rocky Balboa statue monument, doing some boxing moves like the blonde mullet did. Repeated imitation made his natural talent unstoppable. Slowly but surely began to compete with the little fighter with extraordinary talent, until he dared to run a race with him. In order for his sister's confidence to increase, it is not uncommon to succumb at the end. This action was not in vain. Jim is getting more and more diligent in practicing, jumping rope for five minutes, push ups with one hand for five repetitions, sit ups 50 times, regular push ups 50 times, pull ups 6 times. Speed ​​bag with normal speed, punching bag, Apollo Creed-style dodge movements. That's the progress he has made for one year. Of course, that means the school year has started. His friends were startled by his drastic change. Not only physically, his self-confidence and way of speaking suddenly changed like a high value male with positive thoughts, without caring about other people's opinions that don't really need to be thought about. His anxiety thought disorder can slowly be controlled, by venting it with positive activities that are good for him. As a student, Jim was mediocre. Actually, even so, the man who was surprised was always developing within him even if it was very small, but continuously, until he himself rarely noticed it. In middle school, he was very lackluster both physically and verbally. Even so, they have never experienced physical violence. Actually his mind was filled with various imaginations and extraordinary imaginations, but was blocked by the disturbance of his own thoughts. Often asks about schoolwork that makes his friends very upset, and stays away from him. Again, this also left him unable to think about what had happened. But don't worry, the butterfly effect will happen soon, no matter what. Of course it will be very complex, extraordinarily complicated. Worse still, everyone thought it was Jim himself who wanted it, but he didn't. He himself wants to form relationships, talk, act like teenagers in general. As it is known as "Shock" it really is. Less prominent, but in a year so long that no one notices it, there are always surprises. One time, while walking through his dark green nor 18 locker, an offer for a boxing match was plastered on the wall about 5 meters from his view. With a $10 prize. Of course, that number has been obtained many times by his brother. But of course it would be much more proud if he did it himself. From a mental point of view, Jim is indeed very complicated. It was hard to guess what he was thinking. You could have thought of becoming a short story writer, then spread to longer and more complex stories, aka novels, to film screenwriters. His writing talent was unnoticed as well as when he was in middle school. Unknowingly, this wild-minded teenager really enjoyed composing stories. When his friends are confused about the theme and content that self-destruct with a very ridiculous perfectionism, but it is often believed by young students in general who are still in their teens that getting the number one thin bar and two balls to the right means true perfection. Though it could be a coincidence. This is what causes a lot of surprises at the reunion a few years ago, or even when they are 30 years and over which generally determines a person's level of success. Although in fact there may be a possibility beyond that age. Hopefully it will be realized by people that everyone has a chance. He only realized this when he was 17 years old, in the second semester of his sophomore year. Understanding the complexities of everyday events that have a much more complicated causal relationship. The Nihilistic Optimistic view turns out to be true. Don't worry about the purpose of life, but take advantage of all opportunities in front of your eyes, of course accompanied by logical and rational thinking, not fear and anxiety that damage yourself. He had never been active in any field, followed it without hesitation, with optimism. Apparently he wanted to do something fairly extreme. Let's see later. The match started on 20 June 1977, at 20:00 PM the match started. It was June 19. What does it mean? Yes, no practice opportunities. Meanwhile, the wall display has been pasted since June 10. The opponent is the same ambitious man, namely Clubber. Defeat made him even angrier. Her face flushed bright red. Every practice is always screaming, "Aurghhh arghhh". The same gym, Tommy watched his sister. Jim managed to win the match with a prize of $10, which was an honor.

During a modest celebration, Jim said a few words that became a turning point in his life:

“These battered hands are all you own. This broken heart just turned to stone. Go hang your glory on the wall, there comes a time when castles fall. And all that’s left is shifting in the sand. Yo’re out of time, you’re out of place, look at your face. That’s the measure of a man.”

June 22, 2021 13:27

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