There was a bully by the name of
Gary
who transferred to our grammar school when we were twelve. I saw him and
immediately my sense of well being was threatened. I sensed trouble. I became
vigilant about him knowing my own vulnerability for being bullied. I was a
chicken plain and simple and dreaded bullies.
Gary was the
type of kid who tried to intimidate anyone who would show any weakness or fear
toward him. The bullying could take place in the classroom when the teacher was
not looking, in the bathroom, the lunchroom, in the park, or the playground. No
place in the neighborhood was safe for me. He would assault any boy he sensed
would be a victim. It seems that bullies can tell who will be their prey.
I met
Gary
in grade school when we were both twelve years old. He looked at me in the
bathroom and said "what are you?” I said" what do you mean"? He
looked straight in my face and I knew he had my number. Fear and dread ran
through my stomach. He said "stays away from me man" "I don't
like you already" "What's your name?" "David", I
answered. "You a tough guy?" he asked. "I'm OK" I answered
fearfully. "No, your not" he answered and walked away. He smelled me.
One day he was pitching softball in gym class. He made the slow pitch game
into his own fast pitch game and started throwing balls at the head of everyone
who came up to bat.
He had a lot of the kids who were playing scared to death. He hit me in the
face with the ball and I did nothing in response. After the game, as we walked
back to class, He pushed and slapped several kids to see who would be his
marks. He hit me in the gut and I doubled over in pain. My friends watched me
try to catch my breath.
It was the same situation at recess.
Gary
would just walk around bullying people he already had intimidated and looking
for new victims. I was constantly sick to my stomach with fear just being near
him. He had humiliated me several more times by knocking me around in front of
all my friends. I did not have the guts to fight back so I just took his abuse
and hated myself for cowardliness.
He was a blond haired, skinny monster who kept getting scarier and scarier
as the school year went on. He fought several older boys and won the fights
enhancing his reputation.
Gary
had no friends but only acquaintances who tried to avoid his wrath by
patronizing him.
The day of reckoning did come for
Gary.
He decided to challenge a very tough kid with a big reputation as a ferocious
fighter. The guys name was Jerry and he was actually a nice guy who was
studious but was mean and could fight. I had seen him demolish a high school
kid who he fought in front of the the school one day. The fight between Gary and Jerry was scheduled at the park.
Fight day came and it seemed that about 200 kids showed up to
watch. I was there. The fight was a wipe out.
Gary went at Jerry fists flying swinging them
wildly. Jerry just stood still, blocked a few punches and then hit
Gary in the nose with a
hay maker.
Gary's
nose cracked like a twig that had been snapped. Blood poured out like a broken
pipe.
Gary was
finished immediately. He pulled away and buried his face in his shirt to absorb
the blood. He held up his hands in a defensive position looking at Jerry for
mercy as he backed up.. Jerry grinned. He moved slowly toward the hurt and scared
Gary. He knew he owned
Gary now.
Jerry said
I don’t like you” Jerry said to
Gary.
Then, ,Jerry grabbed him and then put
him in a headlock and hit him in his bloody face with four brutally hard,
perfectly placed uppercuts.
Gary's
face looked like it had gone through a meet grinder. His mouth was bleeding
heavily as Jerry finally let screaming
Gary
out of the headlock. It was a slaughter and now it was over.
Jerry stood there, having hardly gotten a workout. He merely grinned at all
the kids watching. He had made himself
an instant legend. Jerry did not gloat or stick around to celebrate. He walked
back to where he had put his books down, picked them up and walked away without
looking back...
Gary was
sitting on a bench several feet away trying to wipe his bloody face off and
holding his broken nose He had no supporters.
I looked at him and started to loathe myself for not having what it took to
stand up to him.
Why had I let him humiliate me? Even if he would have beaten me if I had
fought him I would still have had my dignity. Instead, I was just another
chicken. Feelings of inadequacy overcame me
The kids all walked away mumbling about how really tough Jerry was and also
mumbling I told you so to each other about what piece of crap Gary really was
and that he wasn’t tough.
The question was why had anyone ever let
Gary shove them around? The answer was
obvious.
Everyone was afraid too stand up to
Gary.
Everyone is always afraid in our society. It's natural to be.. But, not for everyone. Not for guys like Jerry.That's why we respect tough guys. Because they are willing to face the fear we are not willing or able to
Bullies are only bullies because they can be. Beware of the Jerry's bullies..