Post by Fiona McFly on Dec 18, 2017 5:17:07 GMT
CHAPTER 20
"In Which Wrestling Is Taught From A Different Perspective..."
13 December 2017 + 1030 GMT
Inside Ford Center at The Star in Frisco...
It was the perfect Wednesday to take a detour from the Kimble Ranch.
For Sarah Dawkins, it was more than perfect--it was mesmerising.
As she, along with her coaches Jack Gaither and Fiona McFly, stepped onto the turf inside the 12,000-seater indoor facility where the Dallas Cowboys practiced their craft, she was instantly wowed by the dedication her favourite team was showing on the gridiron. Wrestling might have been in her family, but Sarah was a huge fan of the Cowboys and their roster of talented stars that were the silver and blue.
She smiled in adulation, watching with great pride the players were about to end their first of two practice sessions for the day.
SARAH DAWKINS:
Oh my gosh...Dak Prescott, Sean Lee, Dez Bryant...this place is unreal!
Sarah was gushing with delight, like a little kid who was dying to open up that first Christmas present from underneath the tree. She tiptoed slowly on the endzone sideline, marveling at the sights and sounds of players giving it their best and cheering each other up when it's warranted.
It truly was a spectacle of epic proportions, one that even Jack himself--as a longtime football fan and former player himself--had never been able to see for himself much less even dream of attending a single Cowboys game. In Fiona's case...she only loved the sport because it had elements of wrestling thrown in it, but she also had a special reason for bringing Sarah out to Frisco instead of resuming training back in Fredericksburg.
Given what she had been dealing with these last two weeks, she wanted to profusely bless Sarah for being with her in her greatest hour of need, when she was having difficulty processing her husband's brain tumor diagnosis.
JACK GAITHER:
Think of this experience in two ways. First you get some extra motivation for your tournament, from a different perspective of course...
FIONA MCFLY:
...and most important of all, a "thank you" present. You picked me up the other night whilst I was feeling down...that's what family's all about, giving others encouragement when they need it the most.
Sarah smiled, warmly taking Fiona's embrace as head coach Jason Garrett blew his whistle, ending the first practice session. Is was their first experience being on a gridiron to watch a live practice, and it was quite educational to see a pro team working together as a unit, as a family. Jack couldn't help but nod his head--for he remembered the good ol' days of two-a-day workouts, hard runs, and even harder hits whilst he was wearing the Arlington High Colts uniform.
They stood quietly as the team jogged towards the tunnel that they had just exited out of..until one member paused, noticing the troika of guests with their VIP badges.
"Is that Jack Gaither and Fiona McFly by any chance?!"
Jack, Fiona, and Sarah all gasped as one of the players approached them. He was 6'2", 245 pounds, and wore the #50 on his white jersey. "Oh my gosh," the latter's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she stood face to face with defensive royalty, too speechless to even say hello to the venerable multi-year Pro Bowler Sean Lee.
But Jack and Fiona did...shaking his hand in reverence. After all, he happened to be a big wrestling fan yet never imagined he'd meet his in-ring idols up close and personal.
SEAN LEE:
I've watched you two over the last few years. It's good to FINALLY get to meet you in person...and who do we have here?
Sarah tried to speak up...
SARAH:
I, ummm..I-I-I...
...but she couldn't muster a single coherent thought. In her mind, it was the perfect moment in time in which the world seemed to stop all around her, and getting the chance to meet ANY Cowboys player--much less Sean Lee himself--was a godsend, a dream come true that her dad would be proud of.
FIONA:
This is Sarah, and she is our student in wrestling.
SEAN:
Is that so?!
Sarah's visage was as white as snow, her eyes as bright as Christmas lights as she looked up at the big fellow in the jersey. Yet she could only nod sheepishly, prompting the NFL standout to place a firm hand on her shoulder and give her a pep talk.
SEAN:
So you want to be a wrestler, huh? Well here's a little something from a fresh point of view...if there's one thing that all the great football teams have in common, it's defense. After all, scoring always quits but defense never dies. But to play great defense--on the field, in a ring, whatever--you're gonna need one thing above all else.
SARAH:
I...I don't understand.
SEAN:
Confidence. Look Sarah...I've been injured numerous times in my career to know that confidence doesn't just apply to sports. It applies to your whole life. It's easy to be confident when you're in control of a given situation--like, say, when you've got the ball--but it's a heckuva lot harder whenever some strange quirk or tragic event happens along the way to knock you down.
Sarah looked at Jack and Fiona before all three nodded as one. The Pro Bowler's words hit home, for they all have had things that have knocked them down in their lives time and time again.
SEAN:
You can have the best day you've ever had in your life but still lose...and losing is something you can't be afraid of. Shoot, I wanted to beat Aaron Rodgers so badly last year in the playoffs, but...sometimes, you gotta learn that setbacks are just as much a part of life as triumphs. That's how you gain the confidence you need to ATTACK the game when nothing seems to go right...it's how you attack life itself. When it knocks you down, you get back up and kick its ass...even when you're feeling like you don't have control. That's how you play defense in any sport...and how you win in life OUTSIDE the arena.
Sarah was overcome with emotions at the end of Sean's speech, and tears started to roll down her face. For on this day, she had learned the true meaning of what it took to be a wrestler both inside AND outside the ring--that whenever life knocks a person down, that person must always get back up and try it again without being afraid to lose.
She thanked Sean by giving him a giant hug before watching him make his exit along with the rest of his teammates. Jack, beaming with delight, wanted to have some fun and held the football he was carrying the whole time above his head.
JACK:
Alright...let's rock 'n' ROLL!
Sarah, Jack, and Fiona all began to engage in a laughter-filled, rollicking game of touch football right on the very same field their favourite football team just practiced on. Even though the lesson was from a different sport and perspective, on this day Sarah Dawkins learned a life lesson that will always be with her for the rest of her life...
...a lesson that was punctuated when an upstairs DJ played a song from the loudspeakers.
Indeed, it was motivational bliss at its very best.
"You've got to accentuate the positive
eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmitive
But don't mess with mister inbetween
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minmum
have faith, a pandemonium
You're liable to walk up on the scene..."
~TO BE CONTINUED~
~~~~~
Dear Emma...
I've always found it difficult sometimes to be part of the IWF family, or more specifically, to be a "heroine" in a business that has slowly become devoid of those types of people. Perhaps...it's me. Perhaps...it's 'cos of the people I CHOOSE to associate myself with. When it all boils down to it, it doesn't matter--nor should it EVER--who I choose to spend me time with, who I choose to talk to on a daily basis.
'Cos whether you like it or not...I'm STILL a part of the larger Imperial family.
Just in me own way.
Thing is...being a part of something means that, sometimes, you don't just sit back and let others ruin your experience. I've done that for too long, watching as the likes of Rowan MacDonnough, the Pack, and the Garcia Twins have ran roughshod over everything I've EVER wanted to believe in and stand for. For TOO long I've sat there and did nothing as people like Dawn or even Spike be victimised 'cos of the aforementioned threats.
Not anymore--the line must be drawn HERE.
You know it...but so do I. I will no longer be scared of pointing out someone that I firmly believe, with all me heart, is doing great harm to something I vow to protect.
Even if it means calling out Shea O'Hara.
She has not only become a direct threat to the IWF family as a whole...but also to HERSELF with her obsession in trying to "save" Ro. We all saw it firsthand...Ro became unhinged, like an ungodly spectre barging in on an unsuspecting victim. She bit a fellow competitor on the neck...yet in her self-righteous mind, Shea thinks she can redeem her.
But what lengths will she go to do it? Will she sell her soul for another "hero" moment?
Look Emma...I try to see the good in everything. I really, really do...but a part of me is telling me that something just isn't...ugh, it's not right. Yet I cannot say for certain 'cos I cannot guess what is going to happen next. It's this drive to embrace the unknown, to explore the waters that lie ahead of me that keeps me alive, that keeps me heart and soul burning with flame as each moment passes on by.
No matter what YOU think.
Look Emma...you were a promising star in your own right. You were right up there competing for Championships and trying to make a name for yourself in a crowded field. There was a GOOD reason why Kathleen Conway once hailed you as her personal "Chosen One" at some point...'cos you always had the beating heart of a warrior, that never say die attitude that defined your very core...
...then, something happened to you.
You couldn't replicate the success you had in other companies. And instead of pulling yourself back together and resuming the journey that you've wanted to take...you stopped being the competitor! You became a manager...and in doing so, you lost the ONE THING that many great wrestlers have in common with one another.
Confidence.
The ability to ATTACK the sport when you don't feel as if you're in control--that's how you attack life!
You don't know me core very well Emma. You really, really don't. I've been through more shite in my life than you ever realise. I was nearly raped as a child, Laia Evers got into me mind and tried to fuck with me family, I've lost me mentor and me Granpapa in the space of a year...and now me husband is dealing with an inoperable brain tumor. Yet through it all, as I've lost more than I've won, as every single title shot I've had in me life slipped by...
...I don't sit by and obsess over a hero moment from outward.
I get back up and kick life in the fucking cunt!
'Cos this FAMILY is something I love more than anything else! 'Cos I care enough for the family that I will NEVER allow myself to sit idly and watch as a few try to wreck with EVERYTHING I've made a solemn vow to stand for! I will NOT allow myself to watch as more people become victims of senseless and pointless slaughter...and I will defend this IWF family 'til the bitter end if I must.
'Cos I'm not afraid of losing. Not to YOU.
And not to ANYONE!
Cheerio!
"In Which Wrestling Is Taught From A Different Perspective..."
13 December 2017 + 1030 GMT
Inside Ford Center at The Star in Frisco...
It was the perfect Wednesday to take a detour from the Kimble Ranch.
For Sarah Dawkins, it was more than perfect--it was mesmerising.
As she, along with her coaches Jack Gaither and Fiona McFly, stepped onto the turf inside the 12,000-seater indoor facility where the Dallas Cowboys practiced their craft, she was instantly wowed by the dedication her favourite team was showing on the gridiron. Wrestling might have been in her family, but Sarah was a huge fan of the Cowboys and their roster of talented stars that were the silver and blue.
She smiled in adulation, watching with great pride the players were about to end their first of two practice sessions for the day.
SARAH DAWKINS:
Oh my gosh...Dak Prescott, Sean Lee, Dez Bryant...this place is unreal!
Sarah was gushing with delight, like a little kid who was dying to open up that first Christmas present from underneath the tree. She tiptoed slowly on the endzone sideline, marveling at the sights and sounds of players giving it their best and cheering each other up when it's warranted.
It truly was a spectacle of epic proportions, one that even Jack himself--as a longtime football fan and former player himself--had never been able to see for himself much less even dream of attending a single Cowboys game. In Fiona's case...she only loved the sport because it had elements of wrestling thrown in it, but she also had a special reason for bringing Sarah out to Frisco instead of resuming training back in Fredericksburg.
Given what she had been dealing with these last two weeks, she wanted to profusely bless Sarah for being with her in her greatest hour of need, when she was having difficulty processing her husband's brain tumor diagnosis.
JACK GAITHER:
Think of this experience in two ways. First you get some extra motivation for your tournament, from a different perspective of course...
FIONA MCFLY:
...and most important of all, a "thank you" present. You picked me up the other night whilst I was feeling down...that's what family's all about, giving others encouragement when they need it the most.
Sarah smiled, warmly taking Fiona's embrace as head coach Jason Garrett blew his whistle, ending the first practice session. Is was their first experience being on a gridiron to watch a live practice, and it was quite educational to see a pro team working together as a unit, as a family. Jack couldn't help but nod his head--for he remembered the good ol' days of two-a-day workouts, hard runs, and even harder hits whilst he was wearing the Arlington High Colts uniform.
They stood quietly as the team jogged towards the tunnel that they had just exited out of..until one member paused, noticing the troika of guests with their VIP badges.
"Is that Jack Gaither and Fiona McFly by any chance?!"
Jack, Fiona, and Sarah all gasped as one of the players approached them. He was 6'2", 245 pounds, and wore the #50 on his white jersey. "Oh my gosh," the latter's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she stood face to face with defensive royalty, too speechless to even say hello to the venerable multi-year Pro Bowler Sean Lee.
But Jack and Fiona did...shaking his hand in reverence. After all, he happened to be a big wrestling fan yet never imagined he'd meet his in-ring idols up close and personal.
SEAN LEE:
I've watched you two over the last few years. It's good to FINALLY get to meet you in person...and who do we have here?
Sarah tried to speak up...
SARAH:
I, ummm..I-I-I...
...but she couldn't muster a single coherent thought. In her mind, it was the perfect moment in time in which the world seemed to stop all around her, and getting the chance to meet ANY Cowboys player--much less Sean Lee himself--was a godsend, a dream come true that her dad would be proud of.
FIONA:
This is Sarah, and she is our student in wrestling.
SEAN:
Is that so?!
Sarah's visage was as white as snow, her eyes as bright as Christmas lights as she looked up at the big fellow in the jersey. Yet she could only nod sheepishly, prompting the NFL standout to place a firm hand on her shoulder and give her a pep talk.
SEAN:
So you want to be a wrestler, huh? Well here's a little something from a fresh point of view...if there's one thing that all the great football teams have in common, it's defense. After all, scoring always quits but defense never dies. But to play great defense--on the field, in a ring, whatever--you're gonna need one thing above all else.
SARAH:
I...I don't understand.
SEAN:
Confidence. Look Sarah...I've been injured numerous times in my career to know that confidence doesn't just apply to sports. It applies to your whole life. It's easy to be confident when you're in control of a given situation--like, say, when you've got the ball--but it's a heckuva lot harder whenever some strange quirk or tragic event happens along the way to knock you down.
Sarah looked at Jack and Fiona before all three nodded as one. The Pro Bowler's words hit home, for they all have had things that have knocked them down in their lives time and time again.
SEAN:
You can have the best day you've ever had in your life but still lose...and losing is something you can't be afraid of. Shoot, I wanted to beat Aaron Rodgers so badly last year in the playoffs, but...sometimes, you gotta learn that setbacks are just as much a part of life as triumphs. That's how you gain the confidence you need to ATTACK the game when nothing seems to go right...it's how you attack life itself. When it knocks you down, you get back up and kick its ass...even when you're feeling like you don't have control. That's how you play defense in any sport...and how you win in life OUTSIDE the arena.
Sarah was overcome with emotions at the end of Sean's speech, and tears started to roll down her face. For on this day, she had learned the true meaning of what it took to be a wrestler both inside AND outside the ring--that whenever life knocks a person down, that person must always get back up and try it again without being afraid to lose.
She thanked Sean by giving him a giant hug before watching him make his exit along with the rest of his teammates. Jack, beaming with delight, wanted to have some fun and held the football he was carrying the whole time above his head.
JACK:
Alright...let's rock 'n' ROLL!
Sarah, Jack, and Fiona all began to engage in a laughter-filled, rollicking game of touch football right on the very same field their favourite football team just practiced on. Even though the lesson was from a different sport and perspective, on this day Sarah Dawkins learned a life lesson that will always be with her for the rest of her life...
...a lesson that was punctuated when an upstairs DJ played a song from the loudspeakers.
Indeed, it was motivational bliss at its very best.
"You've got to accentuate the positive
eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmitive
But don't mess with mister inbetween
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minmum
have faith, a pandemonium
You're liable to walk up on the scene..."
~TO BE CONTINUED~
~~~~~
Dear Emma...
I've always found it difficult sometimes to be part of the IWF family, or more specifically, to be a "heroine" in a business that has slowly become devoid of those types of people. Perhaps...it's me. Perhaps...it's 'cos of the people I CHOOSE to associate myself with. When it all boils down to it, it doesn't matter--nor should it EVER--who I choose to spend me time with, who I choose to talk to on a daily basis.
'Cos whether you like it or not...I'm STILL a part of the larger Imperial family.
Just in me own way.
Thing is...being a part of something means that, sometimes, you don't just sit back and let others ruin your experience. I've done that for too long, watching as the likes of Rowan MacDonnough, the Pack, and the Garcia Twins have ran roughshod over everything I've EVER wanted to believe in and stand for. For TOO long I've sat there and did nothing as people like Dawn or even Spike be victimised 'cos of the aforementioned threats.
Not anymore--the line must be drawn HERE.
You know it...but so do I. I will no longer be scared of pointing out someone that I firmly believe, with all me heart, is doing great harm to something I vow to protect.
Even if it means calling out Shea O'Hara.
She has not only become a direct threat to the IWF family as a whole...but also to HERSELF with her obsession in trying to "save" Ro. We all saw it firsthand...Ro became unhinged, like an ungodly spectre barging in on an unsuspecting victim. She bit a fellow competitor on the neck...yet in her self-righteous mind, Shea thinks she can redeem her.
But what lengths will she go to do it? Will she sell her soul for another "hero" moment?
Look Emma...I try to see the good in everything. I really, really do...but a part of me is telling me that something just isn't...ugh, it's not right. Yet I cannot say for certain 'cos I cannot guess what is going to happen next. It's this drive to embrace the unknown, to explore the waters that lie ahead of me that keeps me alive, that keeps me heart and soul burning with flame as each moment passes on by.
No matter what YOU think.
Look Emma...you were a promising star in your own right. You were right up there competing for Championships and trying to make a name for yourself in a crowded field. There was a GOOD reason why Kathleen Conway once hailed you as her personal "Chosen One" at some point...'cos you always had the beating heart of a warrior, that never say die attitude that defined your very core...
...then, something happened to you.
You couldn't replicate the success you had in other companies. And instead of pulling yourself back together and resuming the journey that you've wanted to take...you stopped being the competitor! You became a manager...and in doing so, you lost the ONE THING that many great wrestlers have in common with one another.
Confidence.
The ability to ATTACK the sport when you don't feel as if you're in control--that's how you attack life!
You don't know me core very well Emma. You really, really don't. I've been through more shite in my life than you ever realise. I was nearly raped as a child, Laia Evers got into me mind and tried to fuck with me family, I've lost me mentor and me Granpapa in the space of a year...and now me husband is dealing with an inoperable brain tumor. Yet through it all, as I've lost more than I've won, as every single title shot I've had in me life slipped by...
...I don't sit by and obsess over a hero moment from outward.
I get back up and kick life in the fucking cunt!
'Cos this FAMILY is something I love more than anything else! 'Cos I care enough for the family that I will NEVER allow myself to sit idly and watch as a few try to wreck with EVERYTHING I've made a solemn vow to stand for! I will NOT allow myself to watch as more people become victims of senseless and pointless slaughter...and I will defend this IWF family 'til the bitter end if I must.
'Cos I'm not afraid of losing. Not to YOU.
And not to ANYONE!
Cheerio!
Well howdy there pardner.