The following submission is from Catherine Gildiner, the New York Times best-selling author of “Too Close to the Falls”. Catherine’s second memoir, entitled “After the Falls” will be published in November 2010 by Viking.
I am 62 years old. In the 1950’s I worked full time in my father’s Drug store since I was four years old. My mother taught me to read and I traveled around the Niagara Frontier with a black delivery car driver named Roy. He drove and I read the prescriptions. I developed self confidence because when you deliver drugs people are happy to see you.
When I was in grade four a bully, who sat behind me in Catholic school, pulled my hair out in large chunks every day. It hurt so much I was dizzy. Finally I couldn’t put my blond locks in a pony tail anymore since it was mostly stubble. I asked my Mother what to do. She said I should invite the bully for lunch and make him into a friend.
Knowing that was crazy I turned to my father who said to tell my teacher, Sister Immaculata, and if that did no good go to the Principal. Mother Agnese, the Principal, told me that only souls of the devil complain and I should offer up my sufferings for the lost souls in limbo.
One day in the delivery car Roy noticed that I was having trouble leaning my raw, patchy scalp on the back of the car seat. He said I had to get that bully. However he was much bigger than I was and a boy.
Girls can never beat up boys. Everyone knew that.
The bully had failed second grade twice and was mistaken for the janitor on parent teacher’s night. Roy said that I had to hit him once and get him good, not when he was pulling my hair, but when he was least expecting it. I bid my time. One day we were bisecting angles with our compasses and I saw my opportunity. I turned around suddenly and looked at his hand. The veins looked like a road map. I picked a major highway and I stabbed my compass in.
Blood burst out like a geyser. The bully rose and fainted. He went over like a Douglas fire. The ambulance was called. I was suspended until I got psychiatric help. I didn’t care, I was back to school in three weeks.
I was never bullied again in my entire life.
You can find out more about Catherine at gildiner.com
1 comment
gretchen
I am not a proponent of violence, but sometimes it takes a stronger action to get people’s attention. Good for you for standing up for yourself. Not only did you stop getting bullied, but I’m betting you gained a whole lot of self-confidence in that moment. ;)