I remember, some 50 years ago, when I stopped growing, for a time, and everyone kept on. I was in Junior High, where everything seems a bit more serious anyway, when I suddenly realized that everyone had grown up to a foot taller that summer, except for me. I was now one of the three shortest guys in my class.
Why do I tell you this? Because I learned one of the most profound lessons of my life, at that time.
In the summer after the sixth grade, I was with my best friend, and he was being picked on by the biggest guy in school; the kind you could hit in the head with a large rock, and he'd still pound you. He was one of those guys who was the size of a full grown man in grade school.
Anyway, my friend, in an idiotic fit of rage, told him that if he didn't stop, I would kick his ass. I would kick his...OMG!! What did he just say?! Suddenly, this 4' 11" kid is facing off with Hulk Hogan's dumber brother.
Truth be known, I was scared. Wired scared. Climb up his back, and hold onto his neck in a choke-hold until he tapped out scared. Which I did. And I instantly became, overnight, a class hero. I beat up the biggest guy in school! I was sooo full of myself, I can't express it. King o' the Playground!
So, that fall, when I started Junior High, which is a big jump in social importance anyway, a guy who had never given me the time of day wanted to pal with me at lunch time. As we walked the play field on break, we came to a kid who was smaller than me, and, obviously, not near as popular. My new friend goaded me into forcing the kid to defend himself from the new school bully...me.
Well, the kid stood up, and proceeded to plant about five quick jabs right in my face. (He was taking boxing lessons... who knew?) Long story/short; he kicked my butt, and I was instantly relegated back to social obscurity.
The lesson is: when I'm riled for a good cause, I can do some damage. But ONLY in defense. And THAT is the reason why I believe, as a veteran, our country is losing it's way on the battlefield. We REALLY don't belong there, and it's hard to win when you started the fight for no good reason. And, we're being told to fear something that we, ourselves, created.
What do you say we calm it down for a while; marginalize the hawks, chicken hawks, and the 20% who support the wars of greed that enrich the 1%
It's called the DEPARTMENT of DEFENSE for a reason!