Rocky Balboa is a young man living in Philadelphia. In the first movie, we see him with little money and just trying to get by. He enjoys boxing, but he is admittedly not the greatest. There’s a particular part in the first film where Rocky can be seen greeting others on the street and talking to a group of kids about making better choices. Rocky’s life doesn’t start out the best, but we soon see it change.
Rocky is invited to fight one of the best boxers in the world. He accepts the challenge, and begins his training. He trains in a gym owned by an elderly man who quickly becomes a father figure to Rocky. Over the course of the films, Rocky becomes one of the most successful boxers in the world, and it all starts in that little gym.
I love the second movie. Not because of Rocky’s career as a boxer, but because of his life outside of it. He gets married and starts a family. Rocky buys the biggest house, the fastest car, and the nicest clothes. He is the happiest he’s ever been. Rocky is able to leave his little life behind him and live the life he really wants.
Rocky continues his boxing career, and doesn’t stop rising to the top. He thinks he has everything. But eventually, things change. He loses everything. Rocky is back to where he started. He’s back in that little gym where his career started.
Since the passing of the owner of the gym, Rocky has taken over. He trains other underdog boxers in the same gym where he was once the underdog. While Rocky may have lost everything, I love the movie where I get to see him return to that gym.
I think we can all learn something from Rocky’s story. Rocky ended up back in the gym after he hit rock bottom, but it doesn’t have to be that way for us. Rocky’s story reminds me of my own.
While I may be serving Iowa FFA in a larger capacity now, it hasn’t always looked like this for me. I started FFA the same way we all do. I was a high school kid looking to get involved with my local chapter. I joined as a sophomore, and I had no idea what to expect from FFA. I still remember the chapter president who inspired me to continue my journey with the organization. She may not have known it, but she was the reason I kept going. I wanted to be like her. She was my boxing trainer.
As I continued with FFA, it seemed things just got better and better. I participated in contests, learned a lot, and made a lot of great friends. Sometimes I feel like Rocky: I have it all.
I'm sure we all feel like this sometimes. We are doing great, and we couldn't be happier with where we are in life. But, unlike Rocky I think it's important to remember where we started before we hit rock bottom.
Our chapters and the people who were there when we started are the reasons we continue with FFA. They have pushed us to become our best selves. We wouldn't be the agriculturists we are today without them.
Let's be those reasons for other members. This year, I had the opportunity to lead a chapter visit in my home chapter, and it was so rewarding. Being able to spend time serving the very people who believed in me from the beginning was really special.
Maybe there's a freshman in your chapter that you can encourage to try a summer contest, or a friend who's scared to try FFA that we can inspire to join. Maybe our communities are in need of service in areas where we can help. As FFA members, we have the power and the responsibility to help those around us. Let's not wait until we're back at the bottom. Let's start now. Don't forget to serve where you come from because there are always people in need in the very place where we started.
Run with your challenges,
Natalie Jefson
2019-2020 State Secretary
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