Gratitude Day 19 My Grammer School Bully: I had a bully in Elementary School. He didnt bully everybody, just me. He was my own personal bully. And I know why he did it. He had a really cool motor bike, not some wimpy Vespa but a fast and loud motor bike built from a two cylinder lawn mower engine. He would race his bad ass motor bike around our neighborhood like it was his own personal race track, making all the dogs bark and nearly being missed by Moms in their Country Squire station wagons on the way to the grocery store. I thought his bike was cool and wouldnt have minded having on of my own.....maybe even a little louder and a little faster. But this bike and this kid drove my father crazy so much that after talking to the kid and his father a few times to no avail my dad started calling the police. Trouble is that by the time the cops showed up that bike was tucked away neatly in the garage.The kid however decided to take my fathers attempt at putting him in juvenile jail out on me. He never hurt me badly no broken bones or permanent damage but there were plenty of bloody noses and black eyes. I dont want you to get the idea that I am an advocate for bullying or bullies. My bully however taught me some important lessons. The first was to be shrewd there were four potential routes home from Rehobeth Elementary school some of them criss crossing so like a soldier getting out from behind enemy lines I would scout and snake my way home to avoid confrontation. Some days I could count on a few of the older boys to walk with me as protection. I also relied on the fact that my bully wasnt as fast as I was so if I saw him coming from far enough away I could outpace him. There were also a few stores and a fruit stand I could duck into and wait it out if need be. Even with all of these strategies available he managed to catch me about once a week and beat me up pretty good. As the weeks went on something happened though (this is the most important lesson) I became more experienced at defending myself with each fight. He would still get the better of me but not every fight ended with me black and blue. Then I started striking back, still from a defensive place I never started the battle but I began throwing my own punches and locking him on the ground in a bear hug he couldnt get out of. Finally one of the fights was so tough on him he walked away cursing but leaving me standing there waiting for more. My bully taught me how to stand up for myself.....not looking for confrontation but not shirking it either. Sometimes gratitude comes in strange packages you never know where it might show up and teach a lesson that goes unappreciated for years. with Lisa Campbell McCorkle
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 07:48:45 +0000
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