Micheal 1

The Stories in no particular order.

OK Chazel thanks for wanting these and here goes nothing.

Well it is Michael’s birthday and I am missing him, and thinking of him, so here is a Michael’s story for you. Spike (yes he was my first Spike) and somehow lately they have Royalized him in the family and talk about Michael. But Spike. Spike was short and little for his age. He loved sports and so did whichever he could at the time. He also always thought if Robert had done this or that, he had to too and had to do it at least as well, if not better. Yip the little brother syndrome.

 Well he used to run long distance and always came third. It drove him crazy. I mean no matter how much he tried, he came third, as the other boys just had longer legs and well, he couldn’t make his grow faster. So….. one of the school masters (read teachers) said to him try something where you compete on a more level field. He then suggested boxing. At least in boxing you don’t fight by age group, but by fighting weight groups. Well he dutifully took up boxing and was pretty good at it as far as I remember. I was a bit too little and frankly I never really cared that much about who won what and how often. My mother, who couldn’t stand the sight of blood and probably the thought of some kid punching her baby, would sit at each match facing the back. I as the baby sister, who thought he hung the moon, was a horrible little thing who didn’t mind blood that much and would stand on the chair yelling “Kill him spike” Yeah, I am not a very nice person, sorry to say.

  Anyway, back to poor Spike being little and at an all boys school. Well as was the custom in those days (and these too unfortunately) kids would pick on him and harass him. He quickly learned, that when he punched, if he put his middle finger out a bit, it hurt more. Obviously, they didn’t do that in boxing and had gloves, but this was the real world and survival. That my dear children is how he became known as Spike.

Fast forward a few years and we were living in the place we all nicknamed the “Game Reserve” as all the apartment blocks were named for game animals. We lived in Widerbeeshof or Winderbees court if you prefer which was a block of apartments in a row. 8 of them, 2 story duplex apartments. We lived in #8. Michael had a friend who lived in about #4 or 5 I forget exactly. On this day his friend was really angry and was pitching a fit and stomping and such around their pint sized garden. It really was tiny, it had about 2 feet of grass on one side of the walkway and then the windy dryer or clothes line that looked like a square naked umbrella on the other side. That was the yard. Anyway, my sister was walking past, and greeted him and he cussed at her big time. Spike who was following her down the road heard it and jumped the fence to confront his friend. The friend would not apologize and so a fist fight ensued, and the friend’s sister came out to intervene. She grabbed Spike and held him, so her brother started pounding him. Well she then let him go as that wasn’t fair and Spike punched him a good one and gave him a bloody nose. He then hopped the fence, walked around the block of apartments and knocked on the other door. When the mom opened the door, he apologized for punching her son and explained that he only did it as he had cussed at my sister and wouldn’t apologize. Then off he went to clean himself up. Michael always looked out for us girls and actually most girls.

My brothers didn’t often fight, but usually it was if a girl had been treated wrongly.

My dad had left a party once,  as someone was cussing in front of my mother. I guess it just stayed with him. I know it did for me and people often say it’s only words, or it’s not that bad. It’s normal nowadays. All of those might be true for them but for me ladies and gentlemen don’t use bad language period.

I think it drives my kids crazy but hey Crazy is a good place to be.

 Jas 3:10  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

Jas 3:11  Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

Would you want your baby girl to say those things?  If not don’t say them