Abstemious Abstinence

 A hundred words can change the world. What if someone just told the truth? Perhaps it would be for the first time. It might be a veracious act driven by an intolerable atrocity. Maybe they observed an act of courage or unconditional love that cannot be explained. What if that act was performed by someone who would normally be in complete opposition to the situation causing the act? What if a hate filled person suddenly stopped another individual filled with loathing from carrying out an atrocious affront. What if that acrimoniously loathsome person suddenly just…stopped…hating?

I am not talking about something that is improbable or even impossible. I am talking on the sudden event of someone having an epiphany and realizing that what they felt and believed in their hearts was just wrong. It is like they suddenly discover what they believe is erroneous in both emotion as well as execution while proving itself inadequate in every sense of the word.

Like that time when I was a kid and had to meet a bully after school in order settle some real or imagined slight through an act of violence. This kid had bullied me most of the fourth grade. Towards the end previous year I had a full plaster of Paris cast on my arm and would use it to act the bully myself. Once free of the contraption, I was pretty much defenseless while I regained my strength. This guy took advantage of that nearly every day. I let him because I was afraid of re-breaking the arm. Over the course of the summer, my cousin’s barbells helped me reclaim my strength and I decided to avenge my honor by beating the tar out of this creep.

We met at the appointed time and spent a ridiculous amount of time negotiating the rules before we started. Once the fight commenced, I realized that all the advantage was mine and that in a short time I would have this kid beat down to an acceptable level of capitulation where I could regain my status as class bully and reign supreme. Then I looked into his eyes.

There was nothing but fear.

I just stopped. I remembered that it sucked to be afraid, and it sucked worse when you see it in another’s eyes. I stopped and told him that I give up. He, startled at the circumstance, regained his composure, and began prancing around like the champion we both knew he was not. I lived with some more bullying from him but it stopped. I would just look him in the eye and he would recall the truth and walk away.

I think about this and wonder where that guy went that just could not stand the look of fear in another’s eyes. I wonder where it came from in me and wonder if there are not many folks out there who wish for some kind of insight or lightning bolt to hit them to stop the stupidity and disgust they are so used to displaying.

What if…