Friday, August 28, 2015

I'm Your Huckleberry Tombstone




This is a scene out of the movie "Tombstone." The reason that I like it (besides the fact that Doc Holliday is a dentist that carries a gun and delivers justice with swift Colt accuracy) is because the bully in this scene believes he is going to get the jump on a slower less menacing opponent. What he gets is someone his equal. He doesn't like that, but realizes he can't get out of this situation.
   
   I don't like bullies.  I never have.  They are usually people with little self confidence that feel the need to put others down so they can feel better about themselves.  Bullies come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Most people see a bully as someone large and menacing. Not true.  One of the meanest bullies I knew was only five foot.  
   Have you heard of the pecking order.  This was a dissertation written in 1921 by the Norwegian zoologist Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe.  It was based on his study of hens (female chickens) and how they determined who would have access to food first.  They would use their beaks to prove who deserved the top position. Doesn't this sound familiar?  A person who will talk ill-will about someone else to make that other person a social leper.  How often did this happen in high school? Middle school? Elementary school? Now?  We see bullies everyday.  
   Like I said before, "I knew someone who was only five foot tall, but was the meanest bully on the block."  She only smiled when she was talking bad about somebody. She would get a belly laugh when telling a story about how someone was fat or stupid.  She was cruel.  She felt good talking bad about others because "pecking" someone down means you get to eat first. 
   The thing about bullies is they are truly weak emotionally. If you stand up to them and challenge them emotionally and mentally  you will win.  They usually get their way in life, but when a victim stands up to the bully the bully doesn't know what to do.
    Don't let a bully put "Huckleberry" on your tombstone!

1 comment:

  1. You've helped me stand up for myself. I won't be anybody's Huckleberry!

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