Radio Amateur KC2HMZ wrote:


It occurred to me that if, at any point during the events leading up
to the first punch being thrown, either one of the two boys had
decided he was above this sort of thing and walked away from it,
neither of them would have ended up smelling like dog dung. Too bad
for them that neither of them was smart enough to do that, or at least
to suggest that they pick a cleaner lawn to fight on. Since neither of
them did, they both share the responsibility for the fact that they
both came up looking and smelling like s**t, no matter which of them
tossed the original smart remark that started it all.

Perhaps you grew up in a different area, John. When I was a kid, we
moved to a different little town. I was getting picked on by some of the
kids, a lot of it in places where I *couldn't* walk away.

My parents always told me that it "took a bigger man to walk away from a
fight". In a backward way, they were right, as I had to be pretty brave
to get my dose of punches, kicks and rock dodging every day.

Then one day, I decided *no more*, and shall we say, surprised the
first kid that came after me. It cost him and myself an expulsion, but I
made enough impression on the bullies that I had no more trouble from them.

I don't think the Bully analogy is quite apt.

- Mike KB3EIA -