Random Beatdowns

Me and a friend were discussing this crazy story that happened in the Bronx yesterday about this guy chopping up his mom and then putting her in random garbage outside. We both agreed this was sick and despicable but, like many of my friends, this friend asked me if I would ever help a friend do that to someone.

I didn't hesitate.

"Kill and chop up your mom? HELL NO! Take someone else out? Depends on the friend who is asking."

I have a lot of friendships that are a decade long or better, which is one of the few benefits of getting old. I love them all and would do a lot for them if I could. But there are some I have immense trust for. So much so that if the above scene happened, it would probably play out like that without the questions at the end. I could rely on them to not get me involved in something without a valid reason behind it. Most of my friends wouldn't ask me to even do something along these lines. They are mostly mature and, at most, only involve me in dust-ups when we have been boozing. It'll probably never, ever get to this point.

But I think it makes them sleep better knowing I got a sledgehammer and a hockey mask ready for action.

And isn't that all we can ask from a friend at the end of the day?

Planet Sean

(From a conversation I had with a friend, unedited. I really feel strongly about the whole ISLAND concept but not so much the whole blow up France part. I love you French bastards)

Me: What we need is to get an island with like 20 or 30 adults who have been vetted hard to be as little discriminatory as possible (prob worded that wrong but I think you get me)
And you take a bunch of orphans who are still young and let those people raise 'em
to see difference but not be judgmental to that difference
And let that go on for like 100 years
Pal: Make sure the orphans are all mixed
so everyone is the same shade of brown
me: And make sure they have full education about humanity
but have limited contact with the rest of us assholes
And if after 100 years that shit is working, do another vetting, like world wide vetting process of like a 1000 people and grab the original island folks and put them on a bigger landmass
And then get rid of the rest of the human race and start over
Pal: LMAO
me: But all joking aside we need an asshole that randomly threatens countries for no reason
Like"If y'all aren't kind to your
fellow man, I'll blow up France"
"Why France?"
"Why not?"
And just do a random city or country every six months until we pull our heads out of our arses
These are the thoughts in my head as I hear the news
Pal: Exactly why I stopped watching the news
me: I try to avoid it
But I'm on fb and twitter still
Makes me miss the old days without the internet and blissful ignorance
Pal: HA!
me: Might have to enact willful ignorance again soon
Problem with having smart friends
Pal: ?
Me: Always wanna talk about important shit
Pal: LOL

Just Good Advice

Whether it's the cops, government officials, women, dudes with guns, heed my advice....

SHUT THE FRAK UP!

It's your right. Exercise it.

Fight or Flight

I would like to think of myself as a generally level-headed, easygoing guy. I try to mind my business as much as possible and not get involved in the affairs of others if I can. While this is certainly laudable (or I think it should be), my decision to not always speak up at every little thing is sometimes taken as me having a huge flight reaction.

On the other hand, when someone says something about my friends, or someone I'm just with or if I'm somewhat tipsy, my instant response is "I'm gonna break your face." This reaction has grown recently in my past few years and has been the side that my roommates have been exposed to so much to the point that I heard one of them commenting that he should invite a guy over and have me hurt him. Mind you I was in my room at 3 AM at this point and probably asleep in his head.

My problem is this- how do I balance my nice side which I like and I think the people who like me like a lot with the tune up the world side I try to keep under wraps?

I think a lot of time people seem to mistake my being quiet or kind or glossing over things for weakness. It's not. It stems from a fear of SNAPPING! I come from a family of SNAPPERS! From the oldest to the youngest. Just a question of degree. Someone shove you? SNAP! Someone was talking about you? SNAP! Who owes me money? SNAP! Any and everything was a pathway to an altercation, whether verbal or physical. A great deal of my childhood was just tests of toughness and not backing down. I failed a lot of these test because I was more concerned with getting through the day and not getting hurt. I didn't feel the need to prove myself in this regard as much as the others around me. My realm was books and being smart. (my younger self is the polar opposite of my later self) I was also scared since I kept a lot of emotions bottled up most of the time that my SNAPPING! would be so much worse and I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

This is not to say that I didn't have my SNAP! moments or points. Two that stick with me to this day is someone threatening my siblings and saying something about my mother. There are no solutions but SNAPPING! for me in those moments.

But as I have grown older I have noticed that although we are supposed to be a civilized society, a great many people only seem to respect or acknowledge physicality and violence. Just look at the rise in popularity of mixed martial arts (and yes there is discipline, training and honor in that but NO ONE would watch unless someone was getting punched in the face). And for all that shite about wanting a nice guy and someone caring, most people are going to go for that guy who can or appears that they can protect them in some way.

I get highly irritated when people doubt me or what I'm capable of in this regards. True, I'm not going to be the next UFC champ and I can't press 400 lbs. but I can guarantee I will walk through the worst neighborhoods and make it out with little trouble. Do not let the glasses fool you. When it comes down to it and its me or you losing, its going to be YOU. Every. Time.

So, where do I find this balance? How do I prove that I will fight without having to hit everyone from here to my house that accidentally jostles me? Or better yet, why do I have to prove myself to the world? The sad thing is I know I do and so do you.

Some of us are fighters and some of us aren't. Some of us talk shit and some of us don't. How can I live in balance?