March 28, 2024
My opponent offered me to take twenty and went on to tell me, "if you choose to fight young man, we will push you to take the max." "There's always the chance I could win," I told myself. I thought hard about it like, "Damn, I'm at the peak of my life, everything's going good, I'm somebody important, and needed by many. Why just give them twenty like it's nothing?" My decision was made. They were going to have to beat me because I was not giving up anything without putting up a fight, and so, the fight was on.
I remember pulling my boxing gloves on and meeting with my trainer for the first time. We scheduled to meet from time to time to work on my technique and strategy. My Uncle Black made sure my trainer was with me from the very beginning, so I made it my business to get our money's worth. Remember I said I was at the peak of my life? Well, I wanted to hurry and get back to that life and continue to push for higher peaks. Besides, I can't front, I was thirsty to get back home to my girl, so I pushed for the earliest fight night possible.
The night finally came and as I made my way to the ring I took a look at the crowd and I was touched to see a few of my loved ones that had shown up to support me, standing off in my corner. I couldn't help but notice that several loved ones that I expected to be there, were nowhere to be found. Oh well, it was showtime! I stepped in the ring and it was evident in my opponent's eyes that there wasn't any mercy that would be given, since I had made the decision to fight. Ding ding the bell went, and the fight began. The beginning was a little tough but to me, my trainer exuded good experience and I had faith in his strategy. The twelve judges seemed to be very observant and alert as the fight went on. It should have been obvious that the referee showed favor with my opponent when he allowed them to get away with several disqualified techs. Ding ding, the bell went off to signify the end of round one.
The reality was that I had been arrested and charged with first-degree attempted murder. The state offered a plea deal for twenty years of my life. I chose to go to trial and fight. I lost trial and was convicted. The state, true to their word, asked the judge to give me forty-five years (the maximum). Take note that the victim in my case only endured a gunshot wound below his left knee. I ask you, was it worth taking twenty years of anyone's life? So just imagine the forty-five years the state was so adamant about! I remember it like it was yesterday when the judge sentenced me to twenty-seven years in prison, one of my loved ones screamed at the top of their lungs, "That's bullshit didn't anyone die!" My lawyer put my notice to appeal on file and ding ding, that was the end of the first round. The twelve jurors said I lost by a landslide. The fight was not over.
As the years went by, the rounds went by from segregation terms, the hardship the correctional officers or other prisoners caused, birthdays of my little ones, holidays, to loved ones passing away as well. With all that hit me and the times that I was knocked down, when I lost different stages of my appeal, I always got back up to fight. As the fight continued and round after round went by, I found myself looking over my shoulder into my corner and noticing people that I needed for motivation and support on my behalf, dwindled away. Very few stuck it through the entire fight, some never showed. There were loved ones that I would have put my life on, that would never have left my corner, that proved me wrong. A few came and went and came again as they pleased. There were times I'd look and see someone leaving my corner and I'd call out to them, "Please don't leave me right now." I would have accepted anyone in my corner because truthfully although the fight was mine, I was fighting to get back home to them. I could have given up on myself many times over, but I wouldn't for the sake of the ones in my corner. For those who never left my corner no matter how bad I got beat each round, even if in your minds you believed I'd ultimately lose the fight, and for those who stuck with me a few rounds but turned your backs eventually because you no longer could take supporting a fighter that lost round after round; know that the least respected is a quitter. Most of the best fights are the ones that are fought until the time is up. Everyone has some form of rounds going on in their lives! Whether your fight is in the ring, octagon, sports field, courtroom, school, hospital, relationship, etc. Different fighting styles, shorter or longer rounds, more or less on the line; it's all the same in a sense. We don't only fight for ourselves, so don't be a quitter. There will always be other fights that will come along, unless you're a quitter, and if that's the case, then what's the use of having anyone in your corner supporting you, believing in you, and having your back, when you won't even fight?
The fighter in this story faced a Goliath type of opponent, which was the Judicial system. We as fighters all face a Goliath type of opponent, where if we choose to take on such a fight, the odds are heavily against us. To sum things up, we all have to make the decision whether to fight or not. We'll have to try our best to see that we have a corner that consists of people that will never leave, win, lose, or draw and accept it for what it is. They will remain on standby to be there for you when the next fight's rounds begin. Some people may come and go, while others may come along in the middle of things by chance, and never leave because they've learned you're a good fighter. There are times that will come that although you are in the middle of your own fight, you'll be needed in someone else's corner at the same time. As long as there's a corner with people in it, you'll have a good fighter. To me, the corner is the most important entity in all of our lives. Lord have mercy on the fighter without anyone in their corner.
Written by: Rafael C. Kennedy