Learning To Fly Again

[Joe Everyman]

Run and tell all of the angels, this could take all night
Think I need a devil to help me get things right
Hook me up a new revolution, ‘cause this one is a lie
We sat around laughin’ and watched the last one die

These past two weeks have been hell.

I tried my absolute best, and still fell short. I needed to win... I had to win... and I came up short. That's kind of how my entire career has gone, don't you think? I try and try and try... and no matter what, I come up short. Maybe I've been wrong this whole time. Maybe I've been overselling myself. Maybe I'm not as good as I think I am. Maybe I am just... average.

My opponents have preached it for years. They've said the same things, and I always tried to stop those words from getting inside of me. But... maybe it's finally time I face them. Maybe it's finally time that I take a good, long look at my career. If I'm not as good as I say I am, then I should start acting it. It won't get me anywhere if I don't think I need to improve. Maybe I'm not the king I said I was before. Maybe I'm not the icon that everybody should worship. Maybe I'm not as big as I thought I was.

These past two weeks have been hell. And it needs to stop soon. I enjoy what I do in the ring. I think that I am capable of doing great things. But, I'm just not quite there yet. I have a huge chance in my next match. This Battle Royal to determine who will challenge for the Imperial Championship... that's what I need to conquer. I need to win. I have to win. It's my goal here in IWF. Without that championship, I am nothing. Without it, I have no validation. I need validat-

Suddenly, the scene opens up in the bedroom of Joe Everyman. Joe sits on the edge of the bed, looking up at the doorway, where Melanie stands, looking down at him.

Melanie Brooks: You need validation?

Joe doesn't say a word, knowing that she was listening in on what he was saying.

Melanie Brooks: Why do you need validation?

Joe still doesn't say a word, before lowering his head, looking down at the ground below him. Melanie walks over to the bed and sits down next to Joe, placing her arm around his backside.

Melanie Brooks: Talk to me, please.

Joe Everyman: I just don't think I'm good enough anymore.

Melanie Brooks: ...at what?

Joe Everyman: Everything.

Melanie Brooks: Why do you say that?

Joe Everyman: I have two big parts of my life; my career and my home life. And I feel like I'm failing at both of them.

Melanie Brooks: You know that's not true. Why would you think that?

Joe Everyman: I'm never home enough for you and Aurora, and now we have two more on the way. And in the ring... I'm never quite good enough for anybody.

Melanie looks up at Joe, with a very concerned look.

Melanie Brooks: Joe...

Joe Everyman: Don't tell me it's not true. You know it's true. I'm not great at anything, and I never have been. I'm not run of the mill. I'm nothing special.

Joe quickly stands up and walks out of the room before Melanie can say anything. She sighs, trying to figure out something to say before he walks down the hallway, but no words manage to come out. She closes her eyes and shakes her head as the scene slowly fades to black.

I'm sure everybody watching this is going to secretly agree with me. I am average. I'm nothing special. But maybe... just maybe... that's not a bad thing. When someone who thinks they are the best loses, and realizes that they are not the best, their world comes crashing down around them. When a loser wins something big, they feel like they are on top of the world. That's the cruel truth about our world. But, more so than winners and losers are the large mass of people who are just in the middle. The normal people in this world. The people who survive, one day at a time. The ones who work so they can support their families. The people who enjoy the little things in life. The people who have to struggle each week to make ends meet. I do not admire kings or queens. I admire those people. The ones who have to fight for what they believe in, because they weren't born with a silver spoon up their asses. I admire those people... because I am one of those people.

The scene opens back up inside of the living room of Joe's house. The lights are all low, as Joe sits on the couch with a glass of scotch in his hand. Joe takes a sip, savoring the flavor for a moment.

Joe Everyman: ...before you say anything, I need to apologize.

The camera pans up to see Melanie standing on the opposite side of the coffee table from him. She takes a few steps around and sits down next to Joe.

Melanie Brooks: You don't need to apologize for anythi-

Joe Everyman: Yes, I do. The pressure of everything has been starting to get to me. I just want to do good in this world, and it's hard when I feel like I'm not worth doing it.

Melanie Brooks: Joe... do you know who my role model is?

Joe sets down his drink on the armrest of the couch and looks over at Melanie. He shakes his head slightly before answering.

Joe Everyman: Who?

Melanie Brooks: You are. And do you know why?

Joe Everyman: ...why?

Melanie Brooks: Because of everything that you do. Do you know how many people truly look up to you?

Joe shakes his head a bit.

Melanie Brooks: Millions. There are millions of people out in the world, just like you. The ones who get knocked down. The ones who get bullied. The ones who get treated like dirt. They are all average, and so are you. And why does that have to be a bad thing?

Joe Everyman: Because...

Melanie Brooks: No Joe, there is no reason. There are so many people who look up to you, because you are just like them. You aren't rich, but you put forth the effort to make ends meet for your family. You aren't the strongest, but you power through tough times because of what is on the other side. You aren't the greatest wrestler in the world, but only one can be. But, you are the bravest. You fight for what is good and right in this world. You fight for the lives of millions of people who follow you in your footsteps. If you ever got passed over for an opportunity, it always made you fight even harder the next time. And above all else... an ego in a sea of egos is nothing spectacular, so you have to be more than that. You are just another voice in a crowded room of voices, claiming that you're the best. Sometimes... the whispered voice is the loudest.

Joe takes in a large breath before exhaling. He turns his head and looks at Melanie again.

Joe Everyman: You're right. You're absolutely right. Did you come up with all of that yourself?

Melanie smiles a little bit at Joe.

Melanie Brooks: A big fan of yours told me that a while ago. It was about time you heard it.

Joe Everyman: Thank you, Mel. I let my ego take hold of me for far too long. You are right about everything. I need to be the voice of the people. I need to be the man that all of those people can truly look up to. The common man does not look up to a king. They look up to a man like themselves. I can be that man.

Melanie Brooks: That's it, Joe! Be that man!

Joe Everyman: I will, Melanie. It took a lot... but I know that you're right. I can be that man. Thank you, again.

Melanie Brooks: I wouldn't be your soon-to-be wife if I didn't want to support you. I love you, Joe.

Joe Everyman: I love you too, Melanie.

Joe leans over to her and kisses her on the lips. Joe then puts his arm around her shoulders and as they both smile at each other. The scene then slowly fades to black.

It took me a long time to realize this. And it even took a swift kick to my ego's ballsack to see it. But... I am nothing more than an average man. And that is no issue with me anymore. I am the everyman, and I always have been in my life. I was bullied in school. I didn't always do well in my classes. I had to pay my own way through my early life. I had to work nights. I had to struggle before I got a good holding on my one life. But, look at me now. I want to be a beacon to anybody watching this. I want to be their champion. I want to be a role model for them all. I don't want to be the king. I don't want to be an idol. I just want to make a difference.

If I can get one fan to come up to me and say that because of me, because of something I did, they decided to not give up... then I will have had a successful life. I could die happy knowing that I made a difference, because I want to help people. I want to make the people who are just like me realize that it's ok to lose sometimes. It's ok to fail. Every single defeat teaches us something we needed to learn. Life isn't a field of roses and flowing chocolate. Life has be hard. Life can be a struggle. And not everybody will have a good life. But, you have to keep fighting. You have the tools. You have the skills. You have to fight to survive.

That's what I will always do for every single person listening to my voice right now. I will be your champion. I will be your savior. And if need be, I can be the person you look up to for advice. For aid. For support. For anything. If you are down, look to the times where I was down. Learn that you can rise above the hardships. Learn that no struggle is permanent. And above all else... never give up on your dreams.

My lifelong dream was to become a professional wrestling World Champion. And now, I'm on the cusp of that again. I'm so close. I'm inching towards it, because I was willing to the put in the hard work to achieve it. But, even above all of that. Above all of the grandeur of this match and it's result, I'm doing what I do because I love it. And even higher above that, I do it because I want to support my loved ones. That's why we all work. That's why we all want to succeed in life. We want to support the ones we love, and make sure they are not only financially sound... but happy. Rich people are not always happy. And poor people are not always sad. Life is more than that. For me right now, it's about recreating myself. Not into something new... but something I once was. I was once the voice of the voiceless, but I let my ego get in the way. Now though... I realize what I truly am, and what I'm truly capable of.

This week, at IWF's first pay per view, I want every single person who has ever looked up to me to cheer as loud as you can. Without you, I am powerless. I'm just another guy trying to make it in the wrestling world. I need the support of the fans to get me through the weeks, just like you need my support to get through a challenge in your own life. And boy... am I going to need it.

This whole, realizing that I'm normal thing can be tricky. This match is going to be big, figuratively and literally. I have to go up against twenty six other men to get into the top spot, and that number is going to rise. But in my heart, I think I can do it. I believe in myself. I believe that there is a victory on the other side. I believe that there is always good on the other side. Remember that in life. No matter how troubling a time is, there will always be something good to come out of it. And instead of my customary ending, I think I'll try a new one. Instead of telling my opponents to never question my heart... I'll remind every one of you to never question your own heart. We are all capable of doing great things in life, no matter how normal we are. I'll do my best to prove that to you all at Bloody Assizes. See you on the other side.

People look at Joe Everyman and see a man that has always seemingly been on the cusp of something great, but someone that has always fallen short when the opportunity arose. Joe Everyman’s name really sums up exactly who he is. He represents every man, woman and child in the world that has a dream, a dream that people laugh at when they express it, a dream that may in fact seem impossible to the majority of people. Those people however are what are generally called the unbelieving public. These are your atheists that believe that there can be no God because he cannot be seen in the world around us. These are your hurting teenagers that feel as though they cannot live any longer because their lives will always be horrible. They believe this because bad is all that they have ever seen. These are the people that will undoubtedly look up to Joe Everyman when all is said and done. These are the people that will stand up and cheer because Joe Everyman is once again restoring faith in people that have little to believe in

- Lance Ryan