My mother just reminded me of a story from when I was five years old. There was this massive 8-year old kid who used to bully me on the way to school every day (when youre five, an 8-year old looks like a grown-ass man): He would hit me for no reason, knock me to the ground and terrorize me as I walked to kindergarten, all the way to the point where I would take alternative routes just so I could avoid him. So, my father, the 24-year old Vietnam vet that he was, advised me that if I didnt stand up to the bully, he would keep messing with me for the rest of the year. Sure, he could have talked to the kids parents, walked me to school or politely asked the child to stop picking on me. But he was 24-years old and it was back before the days of (what I might call) the politically-correct wussification of children that we might see today. Not that this is always a bad thing, but the world is not as idealistic and peaceful as we would like to believe. So, I grabbed a brick and kept it with me. The next time I ran into the bully, he tried to hit me, scare me and knock me down to the ground. So, in the most barbaric way imaginable, I pulled out my little surprise and busted that little a**hole right upside his head. There is something scary about an animal or human being who has nothing left to lose and is prepared to fight to the death. I didnt think I could take this kid (after all, he looked like a grown man), but at that point, I was ready for whatever came next. It was shocking to me how quickly this kid went from aggressive beast to innocent, helpless victim. After he himself fell to the ground, he burst into tears and ran home to his parents. Im sure there was blood, but I dont remember all the details. A few days later, this kids parents came to our house and complained about what Id done to their sweet little child. But my parents knew the rest of the story and reminded them to tell their child that if you dont start none, there wont be none. He never messed with me again and even became my friend. Had I never responded with force, I doubt that this kid would have ever learned to respect me. I cant say that my parents were perfect, lord knows they were not. But they insisted that I learned how to be a man and reminded me that being a man means that there isnt always going to be mommy or daddy there to save you. This prepared me for later in life, when I go through difficult situations and avoid the temptation to feel sorry for myself. I cant say there is a moral to this story......Ill let you tell me what it is. I can only say that this was the first time I learned that some people respond to rationality, some respond to compassion and some only respond when you put a brick upside their head. It changes their personality really, really quick.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 01:42:26 +0000
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