Vinnie was 7 or 8 at the time. He and some other kids were shooting hoops in the alley when he came to me crying and said that a much bigger kid threw the basketball in his face--on purpose.
"I'm gonna tell his mom," said Vinnie.
I said, "Vinnie, don't tell his mom, go teach him a lesson."
 |
| age 6 |
Tall and slender, Vin had been wrestling for about 3 years and I now gave him permission to defend himself against a boy 30 pounds heavier and at least a year older. I saw his face change from the crying face to the battle face. His teeth and fists were clenched as he approached the bully. Vinnie set up a headlock, hipped-in, and growled, "There! Now let's see how
you like it!"
 |
I'm holding newborn Hennah,
Vin's 1st daughter
and he's holding Natalie, Mary's 1st. |
Perfect execution. The boy's feet were up in the air and, as Vinnie brought him down to the grass, you could hear him squeal, "I'M NOT ALLOWED TO GET DIRTY!!!" On the ground, Vinnie cranked it for a few seconds and then let him up. That was the end of that bullying.
As Vinnie walked away he gave me a sideways glance holding back a smile. Dad was grinning from ear to ear.
