Alic

Michael, I think when the RCMP comes to specifically address your assault case, it would qualify as more than just a schoolyard fistfight. I already told the one where they followed me home, and the time they jumped me and knocked me out, but there were many many other times where they have truly threatened my safety. I didn't know how dangerous it was back then of course, I was just scared. But now I truly appreciated just how close it could've been.

There was one time when those guys threw water at me, but I was on the class computer at the time, and there on the floor was a mass of jumbled wires, all connected to a maxed out power stripe. If I hadn't taken the full dump of water on my rather broad back, I might've ended up as fried jerky that day.

Another time, they saw me having fun on the slide during recess. That being the only slide on the only playground in the neighbourhood, it was basically the popular kid's only club up there. Under normal circumstances I couldn't even get up close to it without getting my shit ruined, but that day it was slightly drizzling. All the popular kids went indoors, and I decided that a little rain is better than being bored (wasn't like I had friends to hang with at the time). Well, those kids saw me through the classroom windows and didn't like that I was having fun on their property, so they came out to correct my behaviour. I didn't notice them though, and thought they wouldn't come out in the rain, so I let my guard down.

Big mistake. They went up to the top without me noticing, and when I finally turned around they had blocked off all the ladders leading up to the slides. I was cornered, and had only the slide was my escape route. I thought "perfect" and went to slide down and make my getaway, but at that time, the main bully decided to grab my shoulder and shove me around a bit. Well, he actually did Aiki without knowing it, as his push was harmonized with my turn and forward motion, and I went flying forward instead of going down the slide. It was a spiral slide that was open, so instead of simply faceplanting and sliding down, I actually flew out of the track of the slide and fell about one floor down onto gravel. I managed to cut myself on a sharp piece of gravel, right on the chin, and bled like crazy. Those guys ran for it right away after I fell, and left me there. It wasn't until class started that they noticed I wasn't there.

I got carted off to the nurses room with teachers all over me, trying to disinfect and stop the bleeding. Eventually I went to the hospital to have the cut patched up with adhesive skin closures. The scar didn't go away and I could never prop my chin on my palm again after that, being too sensitive now.

Michael, I don't know how strong you were as a kid, or how well you dealt without violence and bullying, but it was obviously better than me (or you were luckier). Either way, what you experienced wasn't the same as what I had to deal with, so please don't assume I imagined the whole thing. I had to deal with their incessent harrassment from when I got here in grade 5, all the way till end of elementary. It affected my self-esteem for years to come, damaged my communication abililty and trust in people, and I became introverted. I couldn't focus on studying and hated going to school for the whole time I was there.

Thing is, I grew out of it. I fixed myself and gotten more outgoing, threw away my fears and made friends, joined clubs and tried out for sports teams, and became a chatterbox. I don't plan on stopping in improving myself either, which is why I train in Aikido. The past is over, and I cannot change it, but I still have a say about how I act in the future, and I will train myself seriously so that next time something like this happens, I will not be forced into drawing the short straw again.