The Bully

She stood eight feet tall, or at least that’s how tall she looked. She was a giant! Massive. Even immortals trembled with irrational fear when she walked by. She was huge, larger than life. We were in the sixth grade together at Stafford School. She and a few others had just transferred from Bingham School. I was amazed at how big she was. She was the biggest girl I had ever seen.

I had always thought of myself as a tall kid. I was one of the tallest kids in my class. I didn’t realize what I looked like to the shorter kids but this girl towered over me. I can’t imagine what she looked like to shorter and punier kids. She would stand up to anyone, even the biggest, most powerful boys in the sixth grade. I have to admit, I was not one of those boys. In fact, I was considered one of the biggest dorks. This made everyone want to pick on me even more. I didn’t mind that much until she came along.

It was the first day of school and she sat right in front of me. Every time the teacher passed something out she would turn around and whack me on the head. It really hurt. I couldn’t believe how strong she was. Now I had been hit before, even by some big kids, but this, this was incredible strength. I was truly terrified. Every day from then on she tormented me and even took my lunch money. She had this way of hurting me. Even though it hurt, she never left a mark so I couldn’t tell on her. Not that I could tell on her anyway. She would have killed me. I avoided her but somehow she always found me. She said, “Don’t try getting away cuz I’ll catch you. I am all that and then some with a box of cracker jacks.”

This went on for a long time. By the end of the school day I would be starving. I would come home from school and stuff my face with food. My parents started asking questions. “Are you eating at school?” they would say. Of course, I said, “Yes.”

After a few months she had the whole sixth grade in the palm of her hand. No one dared to stand up to her. The teachers were even afraid of her. When my teacher asked her where her homework was one day, she replied, “None a your bizness.”

The teacher immediately backed off.

Then she said, “I thought so!” I couldn’t believe what control she had over everyone. Then I thought, Oh my God! What are her parents like? My mind became filled with thoughts of Hitler and the Nazis in Germany. She is going to take over the world and destroy everything. I can picture it now somehow she become principal of a school. She marches each class down into the dark, disgusting basement where the children are subjected to mutilation. If that doesn’t happen, she would probably end up in a state penitentiary. Even there she would dominate. What if she actually slips through life and her tyranny isn’t stopped. What if she has a child? Gasp! I told myself she has to be stopped.

Then one day everything changed. The day started off normal; she tormented kids and took their lunch money. Then came my turn. I sat at my desk. Class was just about to begin. She made her way toward me. She punched me in the shoulder and said, “Where’s your lunch money, Dork!”

I said, “You’re not getting it today.”

“What?” she shouted.

The class went quiet. I stood up and raised my voice. “I said you’re not getting my money today!” I clenched my fist, took one punch, and then hit the ground crying because my hand hurt so much. She took my lunch money, again.

One Spring Morning

Awakened by the light
Reach up to the blinds
Slowly turn the rod
The sun is rising
It blinds, but only for a moment
The light has entered the room
The long winter is over
All of the snow has melted
A breath is taken in
The weight has been lifted
Refreshing and invigorating
Entering the forest of trees
The green has overwhelmed
Animals scurry along
Up and down, they play
Running amongst each other
The ponds and streams have turned
From cold fidget ice
To warm flowing water
A deer wanders to the pond
She bends down and takes a sip
The ground is now warm
A green leaf slowly rises
From the earth it pokes through
A long stalk appears
Out bursts a blossoming tulip
Others follow along the same path
The meadows are no longer bear
The brown flat earth now holds
Luscious golden wheat
The sky is now blue
No longer gray
White fluffy clouds high above
Dancing robins and sparrows
Color and life is reborn
All from my window

Backpacking Europe - Brugge, Belgium

I was awoken many times by this loud obnoxious snorer. I just couldn’t stand it. While awake I felt something on my back pocket. It felt like a mouse so I swatted it with my hand. I felt nothing and looked up. To my surprise, I saw a man, my roommate, running back to his bed. I assumed he was trying to pick my pocket; either that or he was touching my ass for other unthinkable reasons. I literally slept with one eye open all night which was easy because of the other guy that was producing an incredibly loud horrifying snore. It had to be the worst sound I had ever heard. At 6:30 A.M. I said to myself that is enough and I grabbed my backpack and left the room.

I waited for breakfast in the well lit lobby of the hostel. Once the receptionist appeared around seven o’clock I told her the story of the pick pocketing roommate. She assured me that the man would not be allowed to stay there again and would ask the other men in the room if anything was stolen. I ate breakfast in a large room full of tables and chairs by myself and to my surprise, the man who had tried to rob me sat down next to me with his own breakfast. As soon as he sat down I got up, went to the receptionist, whispered that’s him and after a nod of acknowledgement from the receptionist I walked as fast as I could to the nearest train station and got on the first train to Amsterdam.

Phrases

“Don’t fall!”
I wasn’t planning on purposely falling.
“Be careful!”
Oh, thank you. I was going to be careless if you hadn’t said anything.
“Shampoo with ginseng and Echinacea”
The words sound nice but does it do anything for my hair?

March Photo - Friends

Friends

March Photo - Arbor

Arbor

March Photo - Morphed

Morphed