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I used to get bullied in school because I was always the new kid and big for my age, but passive.

The comedy is that I was an expert at goading bullies and then running away in such a way that I was NEVER caught. I remember, as an 8th grader, being chased by a bunch of ninth graders at South Mercer Jr High (Mercer Island) and hiding behind a really good bush while they were angrily discussing how I got away, right in front of me.

I was caught once by a sophomore bully when I was in 11 th grade. The grass was wet and I had leather soled wingtips on. He close fisted me on the back of the head as he caught up to me. So I stopped, turned around, lifted him off the ground by his belt and collar and threw him down on his face and sat on him. I was 6’1” and 160. He was about 5’10”. I told him we could wait for a teacher to come by, or I’d let him up and he could walk away. He chose the latter.

I’m 64. To this day I stand by a commitment I made to myself when I was in grade school: When I see a kid getting bullied, I WILL intervene. I had to do it in the international district of seattle when an asian kid (looked to be about 15) was being absolutely pummeled and blodied by a group of 10 or so other asian kids. While the people walking down the street just gawked, a cab driver and I went full force into that group and started ripping kids off. That stuff makes me sick.