Like a Basketball

The team was getting ready for a road trip to Eureka for a track meet. And that’s why I was hanging around the gym entrance in the first place.

There were students coming and going as it was the start of class following lunchtime. One of those students was a freshman by the name of Bobby Doerner.

He was pretty good-sized guy, compared to me. But then I was fairly small in stature anyway, so most everyone looked bigger to me.

For whatever reason, Bobby decided he was going to pick on me. Without warning he grabbed me around my midsection, picked me up and tossed me across the gym floor.

I hit the wood basketball court, sliding on my belly, and ending up with raspberries on my knees and elbows.

Instantly, I was angry. I mean how could a freshman think he could do what he had jus’ done to senior and think he could get away with it?

Before he could react, I was all over him, punching and kicking. I was finally restrained by several of my team mates.

The funny thing afterward, all year-long Bobby had thought I was another freshman like himself. At the time it felt like pouring salt into a wound.

Years later Bobby and I ended up talking about that day. He apologized, I apologized and we had ourselves a pretty good laugh at our own expense.