It seems that Sylvester Stallone is going to make another Rocky movie (this one will be number 6). I remember being caught up in the magic of the first Rocky movie back in 1977. What a great concept: some ordinary slob on the fast track to permanent loser-dom suddenly gets a shot at the highest level of achievement in his field (i.e., Rocky Balboa gets to fight the heavyweight champion). His inner spirit suddenly comes to life, the fires within him burn bright once more, and he surprises everyone by showing that he can indeed fight the best.

I’m now at an age and a point in life where I’ve fallen into the miasma that Rocky Balboa seemed doomed to. Long ago I hoped that my intellectual talents would have allowed me to participate within the inner sanctums of national and international policy formation. OK, so I didn’t go to Harvard or Yale Law School (try Rutgers-Newark) and I only got a 1350 on my SATs. Once upon a time I believed that given the chance, I would respond like Rocky and come to think and act like Washington’s “best and brightest” (while holding on to that same gritty blue-collar charm that Stallone gave to Rocky).

Well, that chance never came. Life ain’t the movies. The people who make it to the top in just about every field, be it politics or academia or policy analysis or sports or music, are extremely good at what they do. And those that don’t make it usually aren’t as good (although they probably have other human virtues that our leaders often fail at, e.g. Bill Clinton and his inability to resist the lure of dizzy young female interns, or pro baseball players who become drunks and junkies). Still, you’ve got to believe that there are plenty of people out there who “could have been a contender” in their chosen field, had they been given the chance and the inspiration. Back in 1977, there were plenty of “Baby Boomers” like me who watched Rocky I and felt a thrill, a sense of hope that something like that could happen to us. Watching Rocky VI in 2003, we’ll feel the pang of melancholy in knowning that it probably won’t.

But then again, you never know. Hope springs eternal in the hearts of men (and women). I may not be packing my bags for Washington anytime soon, but there may yet come a chance to do some good and have some fun doing it. Maybe this blog has something to do with that. The best of both worlds could yet have its day.