Overcoming an insurmountable challenge

As I briskly ascended the cement treads to dear ol’ Lincoln High School’s imposing auditorium along Crescent Avenue, I could clearly hear the iconic theme song to Rocky — an uplifting sports film about an underdog heavyweight boxer – in the back of my imaginative mind.

Upon reaching the top of the steps to the beloved community venue, I lightly bounced back and forth on my feet jogging in place while looking as far as the eye could see down Ellwood City’s Fifth Street corridor with arms raised triumphantly toward the bright blue sky.

You need to get back down here before you fall flat on your face!

“Yo, Adrian,” I exclaimed in my best imitation of the popular movie star while glancing down to the bottom of the staircase at my giddy afternoon lunch date. “Since I’m feeling lucky today, how bout I give you three guesses as to who you think I am up here on top of the world; and the first two guesses don’t even count.”

“I think you gave me an impossible task,” giggled Tammy Schlemmer flashing a mischievous look as she firmly placed hands on hips feigning a temporary mental block. “If I put on my thinking cap, I can almost visualize this particular scene from the classic movie that was in theaters just a few short years ago; so, the title is sitting there on the tip of my tongue.”

Of course, your Rocky Balboa!

The story of the fictionalized prize fighter from South Philly (Philadelphia) was emblematic of the struggle my senior class faced as we overcame an insurmountable challenge to defy the odds and regain a longstanding privilege – senior open lunch – enjoyed by our predecessors.

Shortly after I was elected to student council at the beginning of the academic school year, restoring open lunch for the senior class was one of our top priorities as the newly formed executive board kicked off the proceedings at our very first meeting.

However, we were confronted with an extraordinary amount of push back from the administration as they rejected every single one of our well-thought-out proposals.

Due to a change in the new class schedule, the school officials decided thirty minutes for lunch would not be sufficient time for the seniors to wander off campus during the noon hour; but they finally compromised by giving us the unique opportunity to roam the Commons Area – a gathering place for students – upon finishing our midday meal.

Although it was a small concession, we were, nonetheless, content with the decision until February when we lost the right of being allowed in the Commons Area altogether.

Not long after drafting a letter to our principal Mr. Richard Santillo, he worked in conjunction with a small group of designated members to re-establish senior open lunch every Friday for the remainder of the school year.

It showed us that with a little courage and determination, anything was possible!

As soon as I was finished recreating the exhilarating moment from the awe-inspiring action flick, my female companion and I quickly traipsed down the hill to Rose’s Bakery – which was in close proximity to the main intersection of the mid-size industrial city – belting out the words to “Gonna Fly Now.”

“It’s your wallet, or your life,” I chuckled with a snort after pretending my finger was a revolver sticking into the back of the blond-haired choir boy standing at the register. “After spotting you songbirds sprinting through that door, I figured you were badly in need of a sugar rush; so, it doesn’t surprise me that you each bought two doughnuts.”

“You caught me red-handed,” confessed Bruce Thalmann flashing his pearly whites as he bit into one of the glazed pastries covered in a gooey substance. “But if you think you’re going to rob me blind, you’ve got another thing coming; because I just spent my last two dollars on these sweet treats; so, I think you’re out of luck.”

“I don’t think you need to worry,” promised Tammy giving a wink and a smile while pulling a small pouch with a snap closure from her blue jeans pocket. “Since I noticed a five-dollar bill in his own wallet, I might just hit up this highfalutin ‘Daddy Warbucks’ for a loan myself; because my change purse is looking mighty slim.”

“I thought youns were filming a movie,” snickered Melissa Figurel with a hint of sarcasm in her voice before she poked an index finger into my ribcage causing a spastic reaction. “When I saw this accomplished thespian standing on the top step leading to the auditorium, I thought he was going to spend the entire lunch period doing a ‘Rocky’ reenactment.”

“Don’t give him any bright ideas,” teased the long brown-haired lass with a twinkle in her eye before giving the usual order to the woman behind the counter. “If I didn’t drag him kicking and screaming from his makeshift stage, we wouldn’t have had enough time to come down here; and then he would’ve rambled on about being hungry for the remainder of the day.”

Hey, I resemble that remark!

Moments after these stragglers inhaled the delectable delights which were handmade by the cheerful personnel behind the doughnut case, this foursome hightailed it out of the popular bakery in an effort to reach the educational facility before the bell rang out announcing the first of our afternoon classes.

“I just had a thought,” noted the morning announcement emcee with a quizzical look while making a beeline toward the front entrance next to the auditorium. “Considering we only have thirty minutes for lunch, how do all those other guys have time to go to Vinny’s Pizza; because those pizza pies don’t make themselves.”

They use the school payphone to call ahead!