The Art of Brawling

Machine shop was just the beginning : I may have been the only person in the History of Benson High School to Fail all 6 Shop Classes and still have " passing " grades " . In welding class I blew out a portion of the wall by turning off the wrong combination of Acetylene and Oxygen. IN sheet Metal I spent more time in the nurses office having my wounds cared for than working on my projects . I shocked myself silly in electrical class . In automotive class I lost three of six pistons , and finally I almost made it through Aeronautics class but in a fit of fury and rage I Broke my assignment ( a section of airplane wing scale size ) over the Shop Bully's head .

When I was in School I had an anger problem ..it started probably in the seventh grade , maybe earlier . As I grew older I began to realize that some of my peers would often resort to bullying and intimidation to get what they wanted ...and as a smaller more bulliable person it bothered me . Usually I could disarm them with my Head assets . But starting in the those late grades I began to use my head in a much different way . Usually as a target for a well aimed uppercut . The usual scenario would be for me to take a stand usually after one of my friends had been pushed around and call the bully out , the bully would then tell me to mind my own business , I would say something brilliant and witty and he would then knock me down . I would then grab him by the ankles and drive him to the ground where we would both end up punching each other , to the sounds of the cheers and jeers of the onlooking school . If I was lucky there was a teacher within a few feet who promptly broke things up and both of us were then sent to the principals office where we would leer at each other , be interrogated by Mrs Carney . and then forced to shake hands and apologize to each other . The bully would apologize to me for hitting me and i would apologize to him for letting Him hit me . MY Caustic wit would usually give me some extra time in detention , while the bully could back out on the play ground and bully some more .

By the time I had entered High School I had perfected this whole routine . I learned for experience to time my move so as to be in close proximity to a Teacher . IN High School I also went out for wresting to improve my take down move and when I practiced in the wrestling room I always wrestled against boys bigger than me , not too difficult as I weighed in around 110 . At Benson I also tried out for the Football team . I was very fast ..but instead of using my speed to elude the defence I ran right at them enjoying the collision . By the end of the Freshmen football season I decided it would be better for the PIL ( Portland interscholastic League ) to abandon a football career . And to put all my efforts into trying to keep my grades high enough to stay in Benson .