This is not your imagination.

[merricatk]

I'm fascinated by how our brains work, particularly the difference between how they really work and how we think they work/how we expect them to work. (I was telling my cousin Patrick the other day how I thought they should amend the laws on hit-and-run accidents that involve only property damage. The urge to run when you've hit a tree or a

Comments

[natashasolten]

It is a good story to hear that guy apologized to you for teasing you in fifth grade. I hate to think that is a rare occurrence, but I'm afraid it might be since so many people do not want to take any responsibility for their actions even as grown ups.

I think a little bit of fighting and name-calling as kids is somewhat normal...we all go through a "growing up" process and learning to deal with heavy insecurities and emotions. My brother and I fought a lot with each other until we turned about 13 (he's a year younger) and suddenly it stopped. We became good friends. (He's the Andy Rathbone who writes the Windows for Dummies books and is a millionaire because of it...the twerp. He's also a Terranova type...thick black hair, pale blue eyes, olive skin and 6'2" with natural leanness. We all hate him.)

Self-awareness is also conscience. Boy did I have one hell of a conscience at an early age. And we weren't religious so it wasn't because of that. It was just me (and reinforcements from mom who put up with no bs.)

Also, at 13, I became a "Trekkie" and that was a very unpopular thing to be in the 70s. It was considered very "uncool." Not like today. My solution? Form a Star Trek club. Which I did with my friend Kym and the help of a really cool teacher. Kids came out of the woodwork to join. I made friendships that have lasted to this day. We all had bullies who picked on us, but as a group we hung out and ate lunch together (there were usually a minimum of ten of us at all times) and it's very hard for bullies to accomplish anything against ten kids who have become more secure because of a sudden, good social support system and just laugh back at them for their antics. The bullies used to throw wild berries at us at lunch. We would just frown at them and shake our heads and after doing that about twice they seemed to realize how pathetic they were against us and left us alone.

To this day, I credit Star Trek with saving me in my awkward, insecure teen years. Everyone needs a passion. Instead of turning to shoplifting, smoking, drinking, drugs, this one turned out to be intellectually and socially healthy.