Rope-a-Dope

In one of his most memorable bouts, Muhammad Ali defeated George Forman (of grilling fame) with a technique he later dubbed "The Rope-A-Dope." Instead of trying to defeat Forman (a superior boxer) in a straight boxing match, Ali leaned against the ropes and let the most powerful man in the sport pummel him with punch after punch for seven rounds. Then in the 8th round, in a triumphantly dazzling show of resilience and testicular fortitude, Ali knocked out the exhausted Forman and earned the title of World Heavyweight Champion.

What does this have to with a second year college student with no history or desire in boxing? The terms "resilience" and (I like to tell myself) "testicular fortitude." As I sit at this cubicle in The Gelman Library at The George Washington University, a mountain of books to my left, a lake of coffee to my right, and well over 3 dozen other exasperated students typing furiously, drifting in and out of sleep, trying desperately to finish their work so that with a little luck their heads will be hitting their beds and not the library tables when the clock strikes 5 a.m.

Mid-term season has come and gone, yet many students still feel the weight of their classes and lives bearing down on them. Despite the 4 tests in a week just under a month ago, they still find their planners to be filled with papers, quizzes, homeworks, rehearsals, practices, dates, parties, jobs, internships, and let's not forget the daunting shadow that finals casts despite the fact that they are still over a month away.

So what does one do to get through the absurd scheduling and hectic lives that are forced on college students attempting to keep their sanity? Roll with the punches. Take a note from Ali's playbook and realize that glory and triumph are in sight as long as you endure the pummeling delivered by the school year. And don't forget to hit back once in a while when school is laying punch after punch to your delicate head. Ali didn't only take punches for seven rounds. Every once in a while, when the timing was absolutely perfect and there was not much risk, Ali would deliver a blow to Forman's head, lessening the beating on Ali for a few seconds.
My personal favorite releases are taking one night off to deal with myself. I'll play the guitar until a finger bleeds, or I'll walk to the monuments with a friend at 3 in the morning in the pouring rain, simply because it's a ridiculous idea. Anything to relieve the stress is a good thing, don't refrain from pleasure because you are afraid of more pain, leave that to unenthusiastic masochists.

While the first seven rounds of the bout is like October, November, and early December, remember that eventually you get to punch out for the winter with no requirements and all that awaits you is relief. So while life bears down on your shoulders and knocks you harder against the ropes, don't let it get to you too bad, because resilience in the face of adversity leads eventually to success and relief.

One last note: Try not to think about the idea that Ali's late-life medical issues were arguably caused by this beat-down-accepting style of fighting.