Cliffhanger

[Dan Herrera]

”Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory." 

~George S. Patton~

[ Begin Diary Entry ]

Entry 14: Victory
Date: 22JUN16

Dear Loved One,

        I’m happy to be writing this next journal entry with the emphasis behind it being that we won our tag team tournament that I had spoken about in my last entry. The truth behind the idea of taking time to be a better self, and returning when you think you have achieved that can only be proven by what has happened in the past two weeks. And really, the whole Dynamic Duos tournament was a testament to the idea. Reviving something that you have placed aside to rest and come back better than ever works. Sometimes it’s not the right time, and you may fail, but there is proof that this is not true in all cases.

        But once you can take a breath, and go back at something with all you’ve got, you’ll learn that the taste of victory is sweet. That when you really put your mind to something and achieve it, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. I feel as though I’m at the top of the mountain right now. I’ve achieved something in my career that I have never done before. I won one of Frontier Grappling Arts yearly events for the first time two weeks ago. I’ve come close, not once but twice finishing second in the Gold Rush Rumble. But this time, I was able to come out in first. I did it working as a team too. Celebrating our accomplishment together with a good friend. It’s been a great few weeks. 

        No one likes to fail, love one. No one. If they do, I’d have to question exactly why they would achieve that kind of state of mind. I’ve failed and failed in the past and it’s brought two separate things. First… a crushing sense of defeat. Yes, it’s hard to hear that I could go into funks, but as I’ve relayed to you in the past, part two also comes with that overall sadness. The will and want to do and be better. The insightful mind that looks into that defeat and has only one question. Why? Learning from what you’ve been through to make sure it doesn’t happen again is the most important thing that can come from setbacks. And then, if it happens again, sifting past that second crushing blow and finding more to go off of to continue to get better.

        I may go into All Star Showdown and fall flat on my face. It may be the end of this road that I’ve been flying down at 100 miles per hour. A stop to the speed trip I’ve been in, slamming into a brick wall that ends the trip. But if it is, I can rest easy knowing that I’ve accomplished the first part of my plan in coming back to FGA. I won the Dynamic Duos Tag Tournament. And from there, the second goal of competing and winning the Tag Team Titles, I’ll keep fighting for. Because when you feel victory, when you taste triumph, you want more. I’ve been in this spot before, but never have I wanted something more than to finish this trip I’ve been on and win my first ever Frontier Grappling Arts gold. 

        There’s less than a week until I step into the ring at All Star Showdown V and fight for the tag team titles. I don’t want to lose my focus on finishing the job that me and Cordy Stevenson set out to do. But at the same time, I’m not going to let this opportunity to celebrate my victory go to waste. The feeling of winning something when faced with so many great competitors is a too great to go to waste. I urge you to take the time and celebrate the victories in your life, loved one. Too often we’ll feel crushed by the blows of failure we feel in our everyday life. Life is too short not to enjoy the times we truly come out on top. Celebrate! Life is good. And it only gets better as time goes on.

With Love,

Dan Herrera

[ End Diary Entry ]

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[ Begin Scene I | Father’s Day ]

[ Setting: Corpus Christi Memorial Cemetery ]

[ Location: Corpus Christi, Texas ]

[ Cast: Dan Herrera, Peaches ]

(As the car pulls into the cemetery, I look around at all the flags waving in the breeze. I sense of overwhelming pride covers over me as I look over the graves of the fallen soldiers and sailors that had passed thinking of the time that they had given up in their lives to serve this country. Knowing that this wasn’t going to be an easy trip for me I turned to Peaches who was sitting next to me looking out the window and holding onto my hand in both of hers. She turns back to me noticing my stare.)

Dan Herrera: Thank you for coming with me today.

Peaches: Of course, Dan. There’s no place that I would rather be than here with you.

(I knew this was how she felt. After all, she loved me as much as I loved her. But hearing her say it, was another thing. Me and Peaches aren’t exactly the most sentimental of folks. We have our moments, just as others do, but we are more apt to just show through action how we feel. I brought her hand up to my lips giving the back of her hand a kiss.)

Dan Herrera: I appreciate that beautiful.

Driver: Where are we headed?

Dan Herrera: Oh right. Umm, up ahead about 100 yards, go ahead and stop there. That should be good.

Driver: Very well.

(Looking out the window again, I search for the plot that I am looking for. It’s been a long long time since I’d been back home, let alone taken the time to come out here and do this. But lately I’d been thinking about things and this felt increasingly like something I needed to do. The driver stopped the care and I went to open the door before pausing.)

Peaches: Everything okay Dan?

Dan Herrera: Yeah, I think so. It’s just been a very long time.

Peaches: I think he understands.

(A small grin appears on my face.)

Dan Herrera: Yeah, he’s got a lot of time on his hands.

(Peaches appears to let herself smile a bit at me, not wanting to take the joke the wrong way.)

Peaches: I’ll be here til you’re done. Take your time.

Dan Herrera: I will. Thank you.

(Leaning over I give her a kiss on the cheek. I then go on to pick up the flag that I’d brought sitting on the chair between us before making for the door. This time I do not pause as I get out of the car and head towards the area I believe I’d been in the past. As I walked down the aisles, I checked where I thought I was supposed to be but could not find it. I shook my head and sighed a bit, not happy with myself for not knowing exactly where I was supposed to be. I walked a little further before stopping and looking down at the gravestone in front of me. It read, “Senior Chief Petty Officer Miguel Herrera”. I smiled finding the gravestone, before I planted the flag I’d brought next to his gravestone. I knelt down on one knee holding my breath for a moment.)

Dan Herrera: Hey dad.

(Suddenly the rush of emotion realizing where I was almost overcame me. I fought back tears before I was able to compose myself and begin again.)

Dan Herrera: I know it’s been awhile. I’m sorry about that. I’ve been pretty busy for the past ten years. It’s the kind of trait that I know that you passed on to me. Work hard at all times, reap the benefits when the work is done. Seems like the work is never done though doesn’t it?

(I laugh for a second thinking back to how my father would spend 60 plus hours a week on his ship and working with the young sailors he mentored.)

Dan Herrera: I know you know that feeling. Seems like you were never around with all the work you had going on.

(I paused for a moment.)

Dan Herrera: I used to resent that about you so much. But I get it now. Honestly, I do. I’ve grown to be just like you lately. You’d be proud, I think. I work harder than anyone I know on the things that are important to me. When I’m given a job to do, I don’t quit until I’ve completed the task. But not just that, I do my absolute best to make sure that I finish it better than anyone else around me could have done. I want to be the best. I like to inspire others to be better. And where I can, I am happy to see others pushed ahead of me because of the ground work that I have laid. I never knew a lot about what you did Dad, but I do know you were an inspiration. And I’m glad that you passed that quality on to me.

(Looking around the cemetery, I feel the cool breeze hit me as I glance back at the limo.)

Dan Herrera: This place seems alright. You picked a nice place to rest. I hope you’re happy. You’d be proud to know that I’ve been succeeding lately. That all the hard work and integrity that you taught me has brought me success and respect in my field. This week even, I’m hoping to go out and perform to the best of my abilities and reach the top of my profession. I’ve never gotten that far before, and I really do hope I can make it. I wish you could be there. I wish you could see me when I hoist my first championship belt over my head.

(I look down putting my head into my hand fighting back tears.)

Dan Herrera: I miss you so much. I’m glad that you don’t have to suffer anymore. I just wish you could be here so I could see that smile of yours one last time, hug you and tell you I love you. I’ll be fighting… for you this week. You weren’t always what I thought I wanted in a Dad, but I was wrong and now that you are gone… I know you were all I ever needed and I miss it. I love you.

(Standing up and wiping my eyes on my sleeve, I look down at the gravestone and smile.)

Dan Herrera: Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

(After saying the words I’d been waiting to all day, I turn back to the car and begin to walk back. I turn back only once to see the flag I’d posted flying in the breeze before picturing my father in my head smiling. It brings a smile to my face as I make my way back to the car.)

[ End Scene I ]

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[ Begin Promo I | Cliffhanger ]

Have you ever gone hiking? 

I’ve done my fair share of hiking in my life. It’s good exercise. The changing terrain along with the heat and elements makes it different every time and a good way to continually test your body while keeping it healthy. But enough infomercial about the great pros of hiking, let’s get to the real point. 

When you’re climbing up a mountain on a trail, you always think you’re right there at the top. What you perceive from where you’re hiking up, no matter how steep the climb, is the top doesn’t always turn out to be. Does it?

A lot of the time, once you feel as though you’ve reached the summit, you look around and see that there’s another trail up to the next peak. This cycle will end once you get to the highest peak, but sometimes the top of one trail, is only the beginning of another that leads to the highest point. And once you’re there, only then are you truly at the top of the mountain. 

At the last Vertigo, me and Cordy Stevenson reached to top of that mountain. We climbed over the last hump looking around and celebrating as we looked back down at all we had passed to reach that point. With our hands held high we knew that we had set out and done what we wanted to. We won the Dynamic Duos tournament. And over the past two weeks we’ve taken the time to enjoy knowing that we had won. 

But once we got settled in at the end of that trail, when we looked around, there was another trail. This one led a just a few hundred more yards up to the summit. The actual top of the mountain was in sight, but we aren’t quite there. There’s one strip of trail left to conquer before we are truly on top. The terrain is steep. It’s a tough climb, no matter how short it is. But we are ready to finish strong. Ready to reach the summit and hoist the Tag Team Championships over our heads as the real king and queen of the mountain. 

Normally, I will search for the faults in my opponents. Normally, I want every psychological advantage that I can get when I go into a match. But when I look at Ricky Valero and Luke Jackson, as far as I can tell… all I see are two people very similar to myself. 

You both love this business.

You both are willing to fight to the final bell with all you have to attain your goals.

You both do this for the fans.

You both are stand up guys.

Now don’t let all that get to your head. Certainly I mean it as a compliment. I hope you take it that way. But I also don’t know you on a personal level. I don’t know any more than what you show in the ring and on twitter. 

I could be blowing smoke up the devil’s asshole and have no idea about it. I don’t think that’s the case, but I think you understand what I’m getting at. 

I fully expect this to be one of the best matches on the show. No, not because I am in it. Although, that doesn’t hurt things. This is All Star Showdown. This is for the Tag Team Titles. This is what the fans have watched Dynamic Duos all in anticipation of. The time has come for Status Quo to take it to the end, or help solidify the Tag Title run of the current champions. 

You’re well rested, that may be seen as an advantage for you. I can admit that I’d love to have a bit more rest than I do heading into this match. As many of my friends like to point out, I’m old. The more rest the better for me. But I’m not looking at the fact that we’ve fought four other tag team matches over the span of the last eight weeks as a bad thing. I’m old, but I’m not dead. And in terms of momentum, you’ve got a lot on your plate. We’ve been fighting top notch talent and at the peak of our wrestling talent for weeks on end. There’s only one thing that can stop us now, and that’s you.

But do you have it in you? You are lucky that you have the rest. You’re going to need it at All Star Showdown. Because in order to end what me and Cordy have set out to finish you’re going to have to put everything on the line and then some. 

That’s why I look forward to this. I know that you two have it in you. And that is what will make this match one for the record books. When people look back at this event, they’ll remember this tag team match. 

For that, I can’t wait to see you guys this weekend. 

May the best team win. 

When all's said and done, I hope that with all that happens we’ll both be happy to reach across the ring and shake each other’s hands. Step out of line though, and me and Cordy will be happy to slap you back in. You’ve got my respect already, you can only build on that this weekend. We’ll see you there. Get your sleep, this one’s going to be a barn burner. 

Thank You, That is All.

[ End Promo I ]