Hanging Tough, Staying Hungry

A few weeks ago I was in the car on the way home from lunch with Debbie and a rotation student, Sean, just chatting and listening to the radio. I don't remember what the song was, but somehow we ended up talking about personal theme songs. Without even the slightest of hestiation, I told them that my theme song has always been "Eye of the Tiger," one of the songs from Rocky. (Also, gotta love "Gonna Fly Now"). No matter what kind of mood I'm in, hearing that song always gets me pumped up.

Who doesn't want to run/train/exercise after seeing this?

Background: Every year before the fall semester starts at Purdue, freshman have the option of going back a week early to participate in an orientation week called Boiler Gold Rush. All week there are different events, including shows, social activities, and opportunities to meet people from all over campus. (I'm not really doing it justice, but you get the idea.) Different residence halls (aka dorm) pair up and fight against other pairs to be the most spirited, creative, and enthusiastic team on campus. As you can imagine, this was right up my ally. (So much so that I got involved and was a leader of a group of freshman the next year.) Every group generally comes up with a theme to rally around for the whole week. Shreve and Earhart's theme in the fall of 2003 was.... (wait for it)..... Rocky. I ran around singing the theme song and punching the air for an entire week, and it was the time of my life. I was so excited to be at Purdue and be on my own... I was ready to take on the world. I had never been so excited to be anywhere in my life. (Not that I've changed much in six years, but if you were there, you know what I mean.)

Despite loving the whole underdog theme of the series, I have never actually seen any of the Rocky movies. So when Balboa came on the tv tonight, even though I was planning on going to bed early, I couldn't say no. (Note: I actually cancelled my cable over a month ago. The cable company's customer service is just so good that they decided to giving me cable tv for free.) People say the first movie was the best, so I'll have to watch that one sometime in the near future.

Either I need to be a pro with my camera's timer or have someone help me, but I definitely need a picture of myself doing this, dont you think?

I am writing this while watching it (only during commercials, of course), and they've been having a few facts before some of the parts of the movie. Sylvester Stallone, at 60 years of age, actually did most of the fighting himself. (Click here for some trivia on the 1976 Rocky movie.) While I was watching the part of the movie where he is training, I seriously contemplated going for a run, but since it was already almost midnight, I decided that probably wasn't the best idea.

If you're like me, you love to sing at the top of your lungs with the windows down on the highway. When you are doing this, it doesn't matter if you don't know all of the words. (I usually mumble through some of them on quite a few songs. I mean, it can be really hard to tell what they are saying!) However, for your sake (and mine), I''ll include the lyrics to Eye of the Tiger.

Until tomorrow, don't trade your passion for glory.

Eye of the Tiger

Risin' up, back on the street

Did my time, took my chances

Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet

Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast

You trade your passion for glory

Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past

You must fight just to keep them alive

Chorus:

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight

Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger

Face to face, out in the heat

Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry

They stack the odds 'til we take to the street

For the kill with the skill to survive

Chorus

Risin' up, straight to the top

Had the guts, got the glory

Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive

Chorus

The eye of the tiger...