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Do You Remember Your First Fight? (The Winner Was…)

Posted by NWSO • November 28, 2010 • Printer-friendly

I was supposed to post this last week but it was my final day at my old job, I went to a party at the last minute and by time I got home I decided to just start my vacation a day early.

#SueMe

Anyway, a couple weeks ago R.E.D. pointed out that I don't tell stories anymore. Life's been pretty hectic the past few months, making ends meet and tying up loose ends before starting my new gig today ? all while making NWSO deadlines and finding a couple hours to sleep. Well, I managed to squeeze out some time to tell a story about my first and only fight, which happened the day before Thanksgiving. Like to hear it, here it goes…

I was in 8th grade at the time and grabbed a seat at the lunch table like any other day. I forget everyone who was there (this was over 20 years ago for Pete's sake) but this kid Emmanuel was sitting to my left. He and I had been classmates since 1st grade but we weren't best friends or anything like that, just two kids that knew each other from school. As is the case with adolescents, we were all trying to find ourselves as we got older. In the case of Emmanuel, he wanted to be a “tough guy” or at least that’s how he acted.

Like I said, I knew the guy for years and he was no tougher than I, but since the start of the school year he had this different aura about him. Being that we were both the smallest guys out of our friends I was usually the one he would pick on. I've never been a fighter and it was nothing more than a few wisecracks so I would just let his little side comments roll off my back until this fateful Wednesday afternoon in 1989.

As we were all enjoying our lunch I happened to look in Emmanuel's direction and noticed that he had a giant booger hanging out of his nose. Something like that is hilarious to an 8th grader so I literally laughed out loud. What made matters worse is that Emmanuel had these flared nostrils where you could always see right up his nose so that only made the spectacle funnier to me. It wasn't just me laughing but the entire table, which included a bunch of girls.

The angrier Emmanuel got the harder he inhaled and exhaled, which made the dangling booger sway back and forth. Man, I-could-not-breathe because I was laughing so hard, but Emmanuel didn’t find anything funny.

"Stop laughing at me," he demanded, booger still swinging.

I only laughed harder.

"Stop laughing at me," he repeated.

That only led to more laughter and that's when Emmanuel slapped me.

Everything else from here on out is a blur but as far as I can recall I immediately got up from the bench and just started pummeling Emmanuel in the back of his head until we both fell to the floor. I can't recall if people were trying to pull us apart but I didn't even realize what I was doing until I had Emmanuel by the collar and I gave him a few more shots to the back of his head before letting him go.

He never laid another hand on me.

When I was done with him I simply sat back down and continued eating my lunch, while still laughing to myself at the image of that damn booger. My classmates and I shared in the humor until one of the teachers on lunch duty tapped me on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, where the one that was just fighting?"

"Yeah," I said, flatly.

"You need to go to the principal's office."

As I got up and began to make my way through the lunchroom, I spotted Emmanuel off in a corner with another teacher pointing me out. There was a chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" as people realized it was me, one of the quietest kids in school, that was involved in the fight.

Once upstairs, I grabbed a seat in front of the principal's office and a short while later Emmanuel joined me. When the principal Mr. Geasor (real name) showed up, his secretary informed him that we were involved in a fight.

"These two," he said, with a perplexed look on his face. "I'll be back."

Emmanuel and I sat there in silence for another two hours before Mr. Geasor finally returned. "Y'all still here,” he huffed. “Come in my office."

All he wanted to know was what happened and why. He knew we were good kids that never had any trouble in our eight years in the school and when he heard about the fight (if you want to even call it that) started over a booger he was probably even more confused.

Frustrated, Mr. Geasor decreed that Emmanuel and I would be suspended until Monday and had to bring a note in from our parent(s) saying that they were aware of the fight.

This has to be a joke, I thought to myself. I mean, it was the day before Thanksgiving so we didn't even have school until Monday anyway so this really wasn't a "suspension." It’s not like I’m complaining about the “punishment,” but #CmonSon. The hard part was telling my mom I had a fight.

Once our punishment was laid down, Emmanuel and I were dismissed, a full hour after everyone else got out. We walked out of the school and up the block side-by-side in silence until we hit the corner and went our separate ways.

When my mother got home I told her what happened and she wasn't pleased. I went to my cousin’s house later that night and she had to tell my aunt how I got into a fight. Of course, I had to brag to my cousin about how “I had to lump this kid up for getting out of pocket.” #RevisionistHistory

By time Monday came I had my note in pocket and dropped it off at Mr. Geasor’s office that morning. When I got to class, I walked in with a little more swag (or whatever they called it back then) than usual. Like I said earlier, I’ve never been a fighter and was always the quiet kid in class, but after that pre-Thanksgiving Day massacre everyone knew that lil homie don’t play that. Needless to say Emmanuel stopped acting so tough and I never got into another fight again.

Do you remember your first fight? Who was it with and what started it? Who wound up winning? Have you ever lost a fight? What would you do if someone slapped you in front of your whole class? Would you be more upset about your kid getting involved in a fight at school or losing? Would it make a difference if he/she were defending themselves? Do you miss the days where kids would have a fight and that would be the end of it, as opposed to now where you might end up shot and killed? Isn’t it always the quiet ones that are most likely to snap? When is too old to be still having fights?

Speak your piece…

Tagged as: eight grade, fight, homie don't play that, In Living Color, principal

http://loverzquarrel.wordpress.com Sweet Nectar

My first fight was when I was in 6th grade and a girl said to me put your hand in front of your face if your hand is bigger than your face then you have cancer. She smacked my hand that was in front of my face forcing me to hit myself in the face. Reflex took over I pulled her across the table and wailed on her till someone broke it up. I was still kicking and flailing my fists when our teacher scolded me. She was shocked one of her shining stars was going down. I got in school suspension for my first offense.
Kemz

I've never gotten into a fight in my 26 years :/. Unless you count fighting with siblings and I'm sure doesn't apply in this case. What can I say, I'm a lover, not a fighter *shrugs*
Corey

My first fight was in kindergarten. I laughed at some jackass kid who was eating the Elmer’s glue and he hit me with his rolled up papers. I proceeded to bust his lip and throw him face first into a cubby hole. This didn’t go over well with mom at all (school teacher known to be a disciplinarian). After that I literally had hundreds of fights (non familial) and remained undefeated. I’ve been jumped more than a few times and always managed to get 2-4 of them in the process. As a kid I had a lot of pent up anger and a small man complex that made me quite the short tempered loose cannon. If I had to take a guess I would say being short, skinny, wearing super thick glasses, and being a bookworm teacher’s kid may have put a bit of a target on my back for anyone looking to earn a rep for themselves. I’m 27 now and my last fight was when I was 25 and on probation. Long story short, I was in a wal-mart late night and there was a rather discourteous employee who had some rather unkind words for me. I suppose the fact that I was a tad bit intoxicated didn’t help my response but the end result was him being pummeled in front of the check out and me hauling ass out of there before the authorities showed up!!! Don’t worry folks, I’m better now. Promise.
http://spinsterscompass.wordpress.com Spinster

My 1st and only fight was about 2 weeks before beginning the 9th grade (1st year of high school). I was bullied & teased for most of my life up until then. This time around my tormentor, believe it or not, was a girl a few years younger than me. She was calling me names, saying how ugly I was, etc. I asked her to stop a few times and she wouldn't stop, so I became enraged, found a glass bottle, and smashed it on the monkey bars to scare her off.

One of the pieces of glass flew into her mouth and cut either her lips or her gums. I was so furious that I didn't care.

She ran and got her sister, who just so happened to have a fight with my then-best friend right before our impending fight. Older sister, who was my age, came up to me and asked if I hit her sister. I told her that her sister was bothering me and that I got fed up and couldn't take it anymore. Remember, I didn't put my hands on her. I was just trying to scare her away.

(I was sick and tired of being teased & bullied, and I hated myself so much. Therefore, anything would enrage me after a while. I was starting high school in another borough and was looking forward to escaping those asshole kids and my hellhole projects.)

Older sister took a swing at me and that was it. I swung back. I don't remember much, but she only landed 1 punch and I may have landed 2. There were no cuts or bruises or etc. Besides my hair (and hers) getting fucked up, no one would've known that I had a fight. It was such a stupid fight. After what seemed like forever with the asshole kids from my projects watching & cheering, another girl (who was a little older than me and got teased/bullied even more than I did) broke us up and had to sit on me so that I wouldn't do something I'd regret later. :-/

I told my mother about the fight and she wouldn't let me outside until my 1st day of high school (which was about 2 weeks from that day). It wasn't so much a punishment for me; she was more worried that the older sister would try to come after me, maybe with other people. I told my mother that I didn't care, but she still made me stay inside.

Starting high school in another borough couldn't have come soon enough. After that, rarely was I ever bullied/teased again. Even though I remained in my neighborhood until I left for college, I was so busy with school and new friends at a new school that there wasn't any opportunity for anyone to fuck with me anymore.

I don't miss that part of my life at all and every once in a while, the emotional scars flare up. I'm just being real.
http://spinsterscompass.wordpress.com Spinster

Your appearance sounded just like mine except I'm a girl and my parents aren't teachers. Elementary school valedictorian, all honors classes in junior high school, really good high school, severe acne, ugly hair, glasses, couldn't wear the latest fashions because they were all too much money, NO self-esteem, plenty of self-hatred, etc. etc. etc.

Man, I got teased/bullied so much that I started carrying a razor blade during junior high and had to threaten a boy with it because he was my worst tormentor.

I'm not bitter though.
http://robyninrealtime.tumblr.com rw

never had a fight...closest i've come was a restraining order on an ex #thatisall
Preachthecomedian

My first fight of many was this kid in my 5th grade class. We exchanged words I blacked out and I woke up on top of this boy after pummeling him. Class said I wild out an threw a desk...
One rule in my home was
DO NOT LOSE
and also
if you lose gonna get in trouble EARN the suspension
R.e.D

I've never had a physical brawl myself, even though I was teased as a kid (aren't we all???)...but nowadays, like you stated in the questions, fights simply don't end with fists and bruised egos, they end in knife wounds, gun shots and death. I pray for my future children.
Hopefully you got over the 'short person' complex or maybe it just remains with men...
Preachthecomedian

I'm 27 so before we could scrap it out and that be it.. A kittle 2 day suspension and it's over
then in 10th grade Columbine happened and then we got a zero tolerance policy
u get a 2 week suspension, plus a court date
and either jail time or management school....
It got to a point to where if u really wanted to go at it u would have to decide if it was worth it....I had to be pulled back off quite a few smart mouth guys in my life...it is what it is
menluvmysmile

Do you remember your first fight?
**Yes I do,
Who was it with and what started it?
I was around 12 it was with this girl Lilah Jackson. She and I were friends for a quick minute then somehow we weren’t and she decided to torment me and my siblings because we didn’t want to hang out with her. To add insult to injury my mother and step father didn’t like her parents either! She tried many things with my siblings and I; starting rumours at school, crank calling our house phone, egging our home and somehow because her and my sister had the same colour skin tone she decided to say that my sister was her sister. I had enough and I saw her on the street around the corner of my house and I started telling her to keep her mouth shut and she wouldn’t. I had enough of her and decided it was time to get to it and give her some ‘beats’. My youngest uncle used to teach my brother and I how to box and he told me to never fight like a girl; pulling hair, slapping. So I charged her and then punched her square in the nose, she staggered and I punched her again, this time in her eye. She fell down and like my uncle taught me, I pinned her shoulders with my knees and just let the punches wail. I then took her head and bashed it against the sidewalk a couple of times. By this time she was screaming and our neighbours came out and broke up the fight. I ran home and told my parents and they told me to go inside the house. About a ½ hour later Lilah’s parents came and tried to say that I started the fight. They were calm and explained all of what Lilah was doing to our family, also my mother and step-father then told them that they called the police and made a report with them about the crank calls and advised that if another call came like that, that their home phone would be disconnected and a fine would have to be paid. Needless to say she called again, we recorded the call and gave it to the police and Phone Company; Lilah’s home phone was disconnected.

Who wound up winning?
**I did, although I don’t advise violence solving problems.
Have you ever lost a fight?
**No
What would you do if someone slapped you in front of your whole class?
**As my youngest uncle taught me I’d punch that person
Would you be more upset about your kid getting involved in a fight at school or losing?
**More upset about them getting into a fight.
Would it make a difference if he/she were defending themselves?
**Absolutely, self-defense is just that, and if they didn’t instigate it then really how would or could you punish them for defending themselves?
Do you miss the days where kids would have a fight and that would be the end of it, as opposed to now where you might end up shot and killed?
**Absolutely
Isn’t it always the quiet ones that are most likely to snap?
When is too old to be still having fights?
**I think any age is too old to fight, but to be reasonable, by age 13 as I feel around that time teenagers should be able to use their words instead of their fists.
AD

I only got in 2 fights, 1 in 5th grade and 1 in 8th grade. In 5th grade I fought a group of girls that were jealous. Once I took off my glasses and start yelling at the top of my lungs and punching/kicking in the air, the girls just stood back and walked away (I'm not sure if they were scared or feared I was having an attack). But the 8th grade fight was what made me into the "No-non-sense-Foxxy Brown-Cleopatra Jones-Zena-Warrior-African-Queen" I am today because I beat the crap out of this guy from the neighborhood. Then after I came home my uncles went to his house and was about to give him another beat down (but his mother called tha cops who later gave him a stern talk about men not hitting women).

But "Pre-Thanksgiving Massacre"...LOL!! This was cute and funny. I'm with R.e.D, we want more stories NWSO!
Preachthecomedian

No diss to anyone
but that use to kill me back in the day
well now really
Girls were quick to start some shit and then run and get their brother,dad,uncle,cousin...
Like why would I b scared of another man???
And the WORST was ddes who would start shit and run and get folk...seen one guy in his late teens run and get his mama
he reeked of bitchassness
shay

My 1st fight was senior year in hs (don't judge me, I was always the friendly quiet girl). She was my friend but she thought I wanted her bf (now baby father)even though we both told her that we were just friends. Last day of school we all went to the senior faculty game and she was telling my best friend that she was going to punch me in the face. So after the game my friends and I just kept instigating the situation and she turned around and punched me. Now I should point out that this girl was about 5'3 and I was 5'9 but that didn't stop me. I started punching her and then I had her in a headlock and started going in on her face. Her bf had to come break it up. Memories!! lol
Rastaman

It is actually easier to remember my last fight than it is to remember my first fight. I too came from a household where the unforgivable was to fight and lose. I was a very high strung kid and so it would be off and popping at the drop of a hat. Kept spraining my fingers, punching other kids in the head until my dad pointed out that heads are harder than hands, so you need to punch them in the stomach instead or hit them with forearms, head butts or kicks.

I am glad I had those experiences though because being in actual fights teaches you how to take care of yourself physically, there is a science to fighting. Sharpen your instincts about who, when or where to fight and the sense to know that getting hit hurts like hell. Plus it’s a good stress relief to fantasize about hitting some loud mouth or asshole in the Adam’s apple or a knee to the groin. Short and sweet.

I would advocate against physical confrontations but in my experience there are just some folks that can only get the message through a good ass whooping. You can't debate, reason or compromise with them, you have to physically dominate them. Nowadays I probably have too much to lose to even seriously contemplate getting into fisticuffs. But truth be told, sometimes it get so that I really feel like I need to whale on some fool. A cold stare is effective 90 percent of the time though.

That was the case 3 years ago at a bar in Castries, St. Lucia where I was with a lady friend, she proceeded to go to the restroom and some fool decide he was going to slide into her seat after I pointed out to him that she would be right back. He ended up on the floor of course, shouting expletives, threatening and swearing and I giving him the "shut up or do something" look. Not much of a fight but it did get the adrenalin going for old time sakes.
Thowd1

My first fight was in kindergarden. I don't remember the kid's name (after all its been 30 years) but I do remember how it started. It was art time & I was getting my crayon box from my cubby at the same time as this other kid. I open up my box & its empty. The kid opens his & its full to the brim with crayons. Broken, whole, new & used he had it. I saw all this & immediately lit into this kid screaming at the top of my lungs, "HE STOLE MY COLORS! HE STOLE MY COLORS!" Now, I had no proof of this but that didn't stop me. The teacher broke us up & sat us in front of the class next to her. Not only was I mad about my colors but now I'm mad cause I have to miss art time. So I kicked the kid one more time for good measure. I never did get punished for that one, unless you count spending the night with the teacher & her buying me a new box of 64 color crayons punishment! True story...
Corey

I'm so glad I never gave the girls who were late bloomers a hard time. Now they're the ones you actually want to deal with and people are crazy if they don't think those girls remember exactly who did what to them way back when.
http://spinsterscompass.wordpress.com Spinster

Absolutely correct. Too bad you weren't around when people were teasing/bullying me. On behalf of all teased & tormented girls (and women who still remember), thank you. (Might sound corny but I'm dead serious.)
Corey

"my dad pointed out that heads are harder than hands, so you need to punch them in the stomach instead or hit them with forearms, head butts or kicks."

That's real talk there sir. I find that if you must take a hard headshot, make it count. The tip of the chin, with an uppercut preferably, is a staple for short guys like me. Lots of nerve endings there if you’re looking for the quick KO. The temple is good with a cross or a hook (cuts off blood flow temporarily). The ear I've discovered is excellent in close quarters with a bigger guy (throws off the equilibrium). It works well with a fist or an open hand. And my all time favorite is straight to the nose. Ever been hit lightly in the nose and had your eyes water? Break one and their eyes will water uncontrollably and you can’t hit me if you can’t see me.
Preachthecomedian

My dads advice was ain't such thing as a fair one... Do what u gotta do to win..take a eye
bottle to the head..kick thru the knee cap...make sure if it's u or them...it's them..
R.e.D

How is it that every person writing today 'won' the fight?? Come on people, someone out there should tell a 'lost the fight' story...
Corey

Now I have lost lots of fights, they were just within the family. Out in the streets i've been stabbed, hit with bricks, bottles, jumped and all kinds of stuff. I am yet to be housed in a one on one though. Don't think I'm walking away untouched or something because that's far from the case. I had a couple where I took a nice beating and got off a lucky shot. Most school fights will be broken up pretty quickly so unless somebody gets hit with a knockout shot or just gets no punches in you'll see a lot of draws if people are being honest about it.
Thowd1

Ok R.E.D. I have one fight that I lost that stands out in my mind. I was in 6th grade attending Holland Middle School in Houston. I had this friend name Marvin & on this particular day, he was getting into it with another guy. To make a long story short, Marvin was drawing back to punch the guy & hit me in the eye with his elbow. I went off & Marvin took out running. I chased him halfway around the schoolyard & he ended up seeking the production of an older kid named Nathaniel. Nate was an 8th grader & was behind the school getting high when we ran up. Marvin cowered behind the guy pleading for help & Nate simply asked me to stop. I said those two words that I later found out should not be spoken unless you're really ready to fight. I told Nate "Fuck you" & before the oooo rolled off my lips Nate hit me with a two piece & all the fight, strength & urine left out of me. I dropped harder than Glass Joe from the old Punchout video games. But in the end Marvin & I remained friends & are still friends. About 10 years later I ran into Nate & after smoking a blunt or two we both had a good laugh over a fight that he no memory of.
http://spinsterscompass.wordpress.com Spinster

*trying really hard not to laugh*
bogart4017

Not really a fight but i remember being on college campus in the parking lot sipping on a cold colt 45 (it was the middle of July) and this really huge dude that used to hang with us got a little huffy about something. I was shocked because the rest of them (there were about 7 others) had been smoking weed and that will usually mellow folks out. Thing is, like always, the madder he got the calmer i got. I was ready to go at---all i needed for him to was swing. But everyone else got real scared at my calm and they cooled him out. See college was in South Carolina and i was the ONLY one on campus from New York which had a "bad" reputation back then. Guess they thought i was packing heat.
http://spinsterscompass.wordpress.com Spinster

*trying not to laugh again*
R.e.D

now that was funny...and honest too..thx for sharing!
R.e.D

I went to school down south too so you are right, not too many NYers were seen in those parts.
P.S. NY still has a 'bad' rep, lol...
http://nwso.net/ NWSO

Hey Rastaman, hey, whatcha say...

Sorry my countrymen treated you so rudely. May have been my crazy uncle. Lol.

Big up all St. Lucian massive still. Lol
http://whatsonmymind09.blogspot.com Marcia H.

Same here! I've never been in a fight. When I was in high school people said they would've been scared to get into a fight with me b/c I was heavy handed! LOL! But I just got along with everybody!