Fightin'

I was reading a post today over on the

Pirate Journal

and it made me think about when I was growing up.

I grew up with all boys. And since we lived in a rural, not-so-good part of the county they were not sophisticated, sweet, bookworm boys. They were fighting, tree climbing, spitting, cursing boys. So I had quite a little mouth on me and could usually back most of it up.

Every day we'd all ride bikes and play in the woods. Sometimes we'd make us a pretend WWF wrestling ring and we'd just wrestle and horseplay. That never worked well though because someone always hit someone too hard or unfairly took a swing when they weren't looking and then it was pure mayhem until someone's mom came out of the house with the broom or a hickory. Pary over.

But anyway... I remember when I was in 5th grade this new kid named Brandon came to school. He sat near me and picked on me constantly. He would tell me how he was a karate master and how he was going to Japan or some place like that to study and how he was going to throw his chinese death star at me and kill me. Well, this built up day after day after day. Until one sunny day we were out on the playground for recess and he came up to me and started all his karate junk and I decided that enough was enough.

He jumped up on one foot with his hands posed high in the air. (I am sure in his mind he must have thought he was the karate kid.) All the kids started coming around as he started 'heeeing and hooing' and then out of the blue before he could do anything I kicked him right in the nuts. He immediately hit the ground thrashing around and gagging. And I just turned and walked away. OOOOHHHHH You have much to learn grasshopper.

Later that week the teacher called my mother and father in for a conference. In this conference she told my parents that I was too rough for the boys and that my parents should buy me Barbie dolls and other more feminine toys. Little did she know that I had a whole collection of Barbie's and that I played with them regularly.

This situation had nothing to do with Barbie and everything to do with a little boy who needed to shut his mouth and stop bullying. BTW, he never again mentioned anything about death stars or karate chopping me.