Irony ... ain't it grand ..!

STRAIGHT AWAY

The journal I mentioned yesteday, has an entry regarding some of 'life's simple pleasures' today.  I read it, and smiled, because my entry is about one of life's biggest annoyances!

A few weeks ago, I had hoped to hang out with my old friend, Hutch while I waited for Lexxie to blow thru town.  Words got said, and it didn't happen.  I was a bit 'warm' because of it.  So I let it out here, rather than to him, because I am human too, and I want to do what most people do when they feel hurt or wronged, which is to strike back.

But see, I can't.  It isn't a part of me to begin with.  I may be a little smart, but that doesn't translate to clever.  I don't have any quick retorts for you, never have.  My Mom armed me with the notion that if someone hits you, hit them back ... but NEVER not say what you think.

As I have gotten older, what I 'think' and what should be 'said' I have found to be two different things.  I can't always say what I think.  My friend AKA chides me for 'editing' my thoughts when we would speak (her story is to come, when I get home), because the elipses you see in my entries ... are the same you 'hear' when I talk.

Now, anyone who has been bullied and picked on, dreamed of a protector or to be able to turn into their alter ego, a super powered person capable and confident, with women swooning at their feet ... well, as I sit here looking back, that sorta happened for me.  Somehow, my desire to learn to box coincided with a physical growth, and when my shoulders broadend, the ability to use what I was given came with it.

So I went from being a little nerd, to being a big muscular nerd, atheltic and capable.  Notice, I was still a 'nerd', reading comics and watching shows like 'James at 16' and 'Square Pegs' for the short runs they had.  Folks had stopped pickin' at me, at least not as brazen with it as before, but they would try.

One time, and it should only take one time, there was this cat causing trouble at the bus stop as we were going home from school.  I was running home, as I used that for my road work as I trained.  He was making life miserable for a chum, and I decided to stop and ask him why.  He was from a different school, one of the kinds of schools that you think are in the city of Detroit (that is another thing about my hometown ... even the RESIDENTS can't tell where the reality begins and the stereotype ends), and my was for the so-called, 'smart and gifted' i.e., 'other nerds'.

Since I was in a school track suit, he must of saw 'nerd' before he saw 'wide shoulders'.  Sorry if I can't recall the dialouge, but I gave him a 'happy birthday'!

When I went to school the next day, kids rushed me at my locker.  Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE was abuzz with what happened at the bus stop, which was just off a nearby shopping plaza.  The neighborhood police had been called, people had been interviewed the whole nine.  I remember one someone suggesting that today wasn't the best day for me to be in school, and despite the strict attendance policies, I had to agree.

A teacher (not from my school, as it is small enough for everyone to at least recognize everyone else) had seen what happened, and phoned the police.  She described what she saw as a 'professional hit' done to that boy.  The next day, I heard that he had some bad cuts and a fractured jaw.  Ooh, Mark ... you didn't do all that now, did you?  Did you ?!?

Providence shines upon me.  I KNOW this for sure.  Because nothing ever came of that incident, even with me playing hooky that day.  But like Peter Parker, I learned that with power, comes responsibility.  Though I would stick my neck out for others, I had to be careful, because I could get into serious trouble.  Eventually, I had it explained to me that I can only fight if the person is a 'reasonable threat', meaning he (or she, first wife!) has to be larger than me, or have a baseball bat or something, and then I would have to STOP the moment they are first subdued, not when the fight is out of them. 

Now that is a tough order ... think of all the comebacks in games where the one team has the late lead, and the other team wins.  Set yourself up for something like that, purposefully is asking for trouble.

But, that is how it is, at least to my understanding.  Whew!

TIGHTENING THINGS UP

Now, mean people do suck, and they suck even harder when they themselves know better.  I DON'T go off on you, and if I am out of line, even the Nuns at Catholic school just rap your knuckles.  She doesn't send you to the Dean of Students straight away.

So if I say something, let me know, because you already know the apology is sincere, and I wouldn't try to purposely hurt a friend.  That is why I was so upset, because I felt a little taken advantage of, and whatever issue I had that made me speak out of turn didn't get resolved.  Now you have obstinate people, sitting in their towers, unwilling to resolve a small matter.

I do think our friends owe it to us to find out WHY we said something, and even after they find out, to STILL give us some slack.  If the friendship is true, then that should outweigh most every other consideration.

That's my opinion, and yes, I am sticking to it!