On 19 Aug 2010 00:10:01 -0500, " +Grant. " <+Grant@grant.grant> wrote:
>In article <9jso661654iju5alr5hvq3bojtj9rs6on0@4ax.com>, NP-f31 wrote:
>
>> On 18 Aug 2010 18:25:02 -0500, " +Grant. " <+Grant@grant.grant> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >
>> >The Adventures of Stevie #30
>> >
>> >These stories were told to me by friends and other people. Some of them
>> >are true. Some of them are only partly true. Some of them should have
>> >been true. LOL
>> >
>> >My first post about Stevie ("Call me Stephen!") was when he was 12 and
>> >in summer camp and was told by another camper. This was from a time
>> >before computers would fit on a desk and when people communicated with
>> >friends in other countries by actual letters sent through the postal
>> >service. When children did this those friends were called "penpals".
>> >Carlos is Stevie's penpal in Argentina and knows English. This is a
>> >fictional contrivance to enable Stevie to tell us his stories because
>> >he isn't here in person. I think.
>> >All characters are fictitious, even if some of them might have names
>> >that belong to some actual people, or act like people we know.
>> >Stevie's school is for gifted children who don't fit in regular schools.
>> >The stories may not be posted in chronological order.
>> >Stevie is 11 in this story. It takes place 3 weeks after story #29.
>> >
>> >
>> >The Adventures of Stevie #30 "Mother and a Rule"
>> >
>> >
>> >Dear Carlos,
>> >
>> >
>> > Mother wants me to leave the school, only she doesn't know it. Before
>> >I tell you about that, I have to tell you something else which will
>> >help you know about what I did about it.
>> >
>> > I play chess. I really play it. Most people don't really play while
>> >they play chess, they work hard at it. I don't have to work hard at it,
>> >so I can play, because I'm really good at it. So is all our family,
>> >except mother. I'm the best, though. That's not bragging because I
>> >always beat them. Father likes to use chess to help explain about life,
>> >and how you can use what you do in chess to help you in real life
>> >situations. To play it well, you have to think about the next move you
>> >make, and what the other guy can do about it, and then what you can do
>> >about what he can do about it, and keep thinking that as far into the
>> >future you can go, before you make your move. The very best players can
>> >do that almost to the end of the game, from the first few moves. You
>> >can do that in real life too, not just in the game. We have a short
>> >word for that kind of thinking ahead. We call it "chessing" at school,
>> >or "chess it," after I told them about father's idea. I do it all the
>> >time for everything. I do it in my sleep too. That's what dreams are
>> >really for. Now you will understand how and what I did.
>> >
>> > Here is what happened.
>> >
>> > My parents told me to come to a meeting with them at home after
>> >school. Mother told me she doesn't want Tommy to visit me anymore. I
>> >asked why. She said "Don't talk back to me!" That means she knows she
>> >is wrong but won't admit it, so I knew father had told her that
>> >already, and left it up to me to prove she is wrong, if I can, without
>> >her making him spank me, so he can still sleep in the same bed with
>> >her.
>> >
>> > I said "But I need to know why you don't like him, so I can make sure
>> >I don't bring any other people here like that, which you wouldn't want
>> >me to. Wouldn't you like that?" Father told her "That's a reasonable
>> >request. Why don't you tell him?" She told me "Because he teaches you
>> >fighting. I don't want you to fight. You don't need to learn how." I
>> >must have looked as surprised as I felt at how stupid she sounded.
>> >Father signaled "caution" at me. Then I realized what it could all
>> >mean. I would have to leave the school because learning fighting is a
>> >requirement for students who can. And then something else hit me like a
>> >bomb exploding in my heart. She wanted me to die.
>> >
>> > I started crying. Father looked surprised, and that surprised me. I
>> >did something he never expected! I beat him. That made me almost stop
>> >crying. Mother said "What are you crying for? Stop acting like a baby!"
>> >So I told her "Because you want me to die!" Mother yelled "What?!?!"
>> >and raised her hand to slap me. Then father did something I never
>> >expected, something I never saw him do before. He grabbed her wrist and
>> >pushed her arm down and said to her "Lets find out what he means before
>> >we jump to conclusions." Before she could catch her breath and yell at
>> >him too, I told him "I need to know how to defend myself if somebody
>> >wants to hurt me." Mother calmed down a little and said "Nonsense! If
>> >you obey the Golden Rule, nobody will hurt you." I cried some more in
>> >frustration. She said "Now what's the matter?"
>> >
>> > Now I had my opening, but I was really afraid to use it. I decided to
>> >do it a little move at a time. I asked her "Why do you keep doing
>> >that?" She looked confused and said "What do you mean?" I said "Why do
>> >you keep saying things which are not true? You do that a lot and it's
>> >very confusing." She said "I do not! If you don't fight, people won't
>> >want to fight with you or hurt you." Then I let her have it. I screamed
>> >at her "BUT THEY ALREADY DID!" This time father grabbed her hand before
>> >she could raise it to slap me, and used his sharp voice to her and said
>> >"Wait, I want to hear about this," and to me, "Go head, explain." I
>> >did. I will tell you.
>> >
>> > I was walking home from school after the only detention I ever had. I
>> >was in grade 3, and the busses were already gone. It was 2 miles to get
>> >home. There were other kids in the area, but I didn't pay them any
>> >attention. I should have, but it wouldn't have changed anything. 4 boys
>> >followed me. They were 6 graders, and bigger than most, like I was the
>> >opposite for a 3 grader. When I got to a metal fence they came up
>> >behind me and attacked me. They knocked me down and my books went
>> >flying. I rolled around to try to get away, but they kept jumping on
>> >me. They tried to hit and kick me but they missed because I was moving
>> >so fast, but I couldn't get away. Then somehow I was on top of the
>> >biggest attacker. Then he rolled over and I was really pinned on the
>> >bottom under him, and I saw he was going to punch me in my face and I
>> >couldn't stop him. Then it happened.
>> >
>> > No, not the punch. One of his friends had grabbed a loose pipe from
>> >the fence and was going to hit me when I was on top. Instead he hit the
>> >boy who was now on top of me, across the shoulder blades. I think if he
>> >had hit him higher or lower, that boy would be dead. If I had still
>> >been on top, that pipe would have hit me in the back of my neck, and I
>> >would not be here to tell you this. The boy he hit yelled and jumped
>> >off me. Then I got mad.
>> >
>> > I knew they were trying to beat me up, but I didn't know till then
>> >they wanted to kill me. I had thought it was more like a game, thought
>> >it was even a little fun, because I wasn't hurt yet. But now a boy was
>> >hurt and I didn't like that at all. I got mad. REALLY mad. I screamed
>> >at them like I was a wild animal, and acted like it too. They ran away
>> >from me, and I CHASED them. One of them even climbed the fence and fell
>> >over to the other side and rolled down the steep hill. The other boys
>> >ran along side the fence in both directions until I couldn't see them
>> >any more. I calmed down, picked up my books, and finished walking home,
>> >and forgot about it, and never told anybody what happened. I never saw
>> >those boys again.
>> >
>> > I could tell father was really surprised, and a little upset. I like
>> >surprising him because it's so hard to do. It's like a game for me,
>> >which I hardly ever win. Now I did it 2 times in one day! I felt good
>> >about that, but not good about making him upset for me. Mother ruined
>> >it with "Why didn't you run away? You should have, and all that
>> >wouldn't have happened." I said "You did it again!" She said "Did
>> >what?" I said "You said something that's not true again." Before she
>> >could say something back, I said "I was only 8, but I wasn't dumb
>> >enough to try to run away from boys who could run 3 times faster than
>> >me. And turn my back on them? Never! I knew all that wouldn't work.
>> >What I don't understand now is why you don't. You are much older than I
>> >am. You should know these things every smart kid knows. I don't know
>> >why you don't. The Golden Rule didn't work. I never did ANYTHING to
>> >those boys. I couldn't have because I never saw them before, but they
>> >attacked me. The Golden Rule didn't stop them. When you say I have to
>> >obey it, it means to me you want me to DIE! I didn't die then just
>> >because of luck. I can't expect to be that lucky the next time it
>> >happens, and it WILL. Haven't you noticed I'm too small for my age, and
>> >I'm different? That makes me a target for all the bullies who see me.
>> >So I have a big question for you. Why don't you want me to learn how to
>> >protect myself? Why do you want me to die?"
>> >
>> > Father said "That's enough, go to your room," and signaled "work in
>> >progress" to me. That meant I did what he wanted me to do, and he would
>> >do the rest for now. I CHESSED RIGHT!
>> >
>> > I left, but still listened to them. Father said "He made some valid
>> >points. He IS choice meat for bullies, more than he realizes. Why don't
>> >we let this rest for now, and talk with him some more about this when
>> >he calms down. Maybe tomorrow. We don't have to make a firm decision on
>> >this issue right away." She said "We'll see." That is the best she can
>> >do to admit she is wrong, but still might never really give up. We will
>> >have to work on her some more, very carefully. Tommy still can't visit
>> >yet, but I am still going to keep learning fighting at school.
>> >
>> > Sometimes you have to work very hard to pry open some people's brains
>> >so they can think a little when they really should, before their extra
>> >thick skulls snap shut again. Watch your fingers! They are not really
>> >stupid because they CAN think if they want to. I don't know if I will
>> >ever understand why some people don't want to think so much, they make
>> >themselves so stupid on purpose, they aren't smart enough to know they
>> >did it. Some of those people might be nice. Mother isn't.
>> >
>> >
>> >Your friend,
>> >
>> >Stephen
>>
>>
>> Hey Grant,
>>
>> Loved this one. One of your best. Stephen showed how he thinks and it
>> is a great technique to introduce to young people. Chess it! Thanks
>> for sharing this one. I will send it off to the guys who continue to
>> enjoy Stevie's adventures.
>
>The "Chess it" idea was inspired by some of Y Not's debating
>instruction posts.
>
>> I must have missed the episode where the father-son signal techniques
>> come into play. But my own son and I have some of those, we mostly use
>> them to deal with his big sister though. LOL!
>
>It was in The Adventures of Stevie #9 "Tit for Tat"
>I can repost it for you, if you want.
>The idea for that part came from the previous story, Turn the Table,
>where Stevie said he could read what kind of poker hand Jeremy had, in
>his face, which resulted in a "poke-him" counter, and we still haven't
>seen how far the results of THAT go.
>That story explains "echo-location", too.
>
>> Stay Safe!
>>
>> Doc
>> NP-f31
>
>
>Thank you for your kind comments. I like the previous story better. I
>don't like it when I have to make Stevie cry.
>
>I think VV doesn't like this one at all. LOL
>
>In the next story, there is more chessing, with much different results.
>
>Soon, Stevie will have another encounter with his mother. I fateful
>one. Is he one who cries then? After 7 more stories, you will find out.
Dear Grant,
I believe you to be a person with a kind heart, for your stories exude
our best sentiments. It is not the story so much that I dislike ...
it is the presumptions wrapped therein.
V
God Save the Queen.
God Bless the Prince of Wales.
God Preserve the Windsors.
Rule Britannia!
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