Sunday 16 April 2017

‘Shrinking Violence.’



This tooth got knocked out in a fight one Saturday Night, quite a few years back now. 

A mate of mine (he’s here on FB) and I went out for a night on the drink, & we saw this guy kicking the shit out of his missus. 

So…we stepped in.  Or rather, I jumped in- and started punching the guy.  (to be fair, I didn’t give my mate much room to hop in…frankly, I was pretty wild in those days, I would likely have hit him too.  He had my back, and that was just fine with me.)

It was a flurry of fists, I was hammering away, & the guy ducked his head down to avoid getting hit in the face, & I punched him on the top of his head.  “OW!!”  Fuck!  Did that hurt! 

I broke one of my knuckles & a finger.  So…I stopped a moment, and while I was shaking that out…the guy swung up and landed a good one in my face.  I was temporarily dazed, but I was also angry, so I spat the blood out and recommenced hammering even harder, until the guy gave up and ran away, wailing and cursing…got into his car, (which was in the middle of the road!) and sped off leaving his woman behind.  So, we got her fixed up, I got my hand bandaged, & it was then I realised I had lost a tooth in the process. 

I decided not to get it fixed.  I still haven’t gotten it done.  I just left it. 

There is still bit of the stump in there; you get used to it. 

It’s a reminder…of …

OK.  I’ve been a bit of a shit to other human beings in the past.  For a variety of reasons, possibly to do with a violent upbringing etc etc…I was always drawn toward disharmony and discord. 

Just the way I was programmed, I guess. 

But over the years…I settled down. 

Sure, I have done a bit of harm…but I’ve done some good as well. 

I’ve even saved a few lives. 

When I first joined the force, I stopped a guy from stabbing his wife. 

I’m not the best man on the planet…I’m not the worst.  I’m somewhere, there, in that big bit in the middle. 

So what?  What’s the point of the story?

All I’m saying is…I never got that tooth fixed, to remind myself…I would NEVER hit a woman.  & I would never allow a woman to be hit.  I would have died to save that woman back then…

I’d die to save any woman from being hurt or harmed.   

It’s not particularly heroic for me to say that…& I’m not necessarily an advocate of fighting in the street; it’s sleazy and it vulgar, but real life doesn’t work like films.  Sometimes bad shit just breaks out in front of you…guys get drunk, they lose their temper and decide to take their anger and impotence out on their woman.

It might not look very attractive of civilized, but you have to step in.  & in terms of laying down my life…being a cop, you know you may have to do that every day you clock on.  So that’s no big deal either. 

PLUS…it’s no secret I’m not exactly a huge fan of life.  I think it is unnecessarily tough and violent, I think too many innocent people get hurt for no good reason, and if it is part of some big fuckin’ grand plan at the pleasure of some being in the sky…then I want no part of it.  I’m told we are being tested; me?  I don’t see the point.  I’d much rather see people left alone to enjoy a happy life without being tortured for the amusement of some sadistic god. 

In my opinion, life is a dog root from beginning to end; but we make the best of it.  We have what we have, I guess. 

Try and have some fun along the way. 

Sure…I think life is mostly a bad joke where people get hurt & killed and tortured maimed & raped for no good reason.  BUT…there might be someone out there in trouble…who needs help…& they might be someone who is having a wonderful life; they might be one of those ones you hear about who not only enjoys things the way they are, has a nice family, contributes something to society, etc…

THOSE people are worth fighting for.  If I can do anything to preserve that person’s way of life…you know I will.  It doesn’t matter how crappy I think this deal called ‘life’ is…that’s not the point.  Someone else might be really enjoying theirs. 

So helping someone else who is making something out of it…that makes it an especially good thing to do.

It’s the right thing to do. 

Next time you’re out & about…keep your eyes peeled for the shit.

I remember one night shift, years ago, we were only a few minutes from the station & about to clock off, when we saw something odd in a laneway; some weird and suspicious movement.  As we drove in, we saw this guy on top of this woman…& he was lunging away. 

We jumped out of the car, pushed him off, gave him a tap and cuffed him and it turned out…he was this guy just out of prison, and he was raping the woman after the nightclub had closed. 

He had followed her home, and accosted her for his sick pleasure. 

But listen to this; it turns out…we were just in time to stop that bastards cock from going inside her. 

I never forgot that.

(All this is easily checked and verified.  It happened.  Most of what I write about is available under FOI & public domain.)

In a big city, shit like that and worse happens all the time, while god sits back and watches, laughing. 

Every once in a while…you win one.

Every so often…you get the chance to really help someone out. 

Every day above ground…

is an opportunity to get a win under your belt. 

No matter how many failures you have in your life…no matter how badly you think you fucked things up…

Every new day is a chance to turn it all around.  To do an unselfish act.  To lay it on the line for another human being. 

To stop someone else from getting raped, beaten, or even killed. 

Today might be the day…

You save a life. 

THAT is the point of the story. 

Don’t murder yourself…take all that energy, and put it into something good.  If you don’t give a good shit about your own life…

Then that’s perfect!  Lay it on the line to save someone else’s!!

That’s keeping one back from a hateful god! 

Flipping the god of horror the bird!

Tell him, ‘fuck you’!  I don’t have to play your cowardly game!

Show that bully in the sky what real power is. 

Most people see the shit come down, and they hang back. 

Don’t let that be you; life’s too short for shrinking violence. 

Today…this day…right now…might be your chance to shine for all eternity…to have the honour, and the everlasting privilege, of serving a fellow human being. 

I’ve seen it happen.  First hand. 

It happens, I tell you, when you least expect it. 

Every time I get on the plane…I’m ready.  To take some mental case with wild ideas down.  I’m always ready to get it on at a moments notice.  

Look inside your heart…& tell me that the prospect of saving the day doesn’t excite some little part of you. 

That feeling? 

Make friends with it. 

That’s a thing inside you woven into your DNA. 

Something older even than our species. 

It’s a thing they used to call ‘courage’. 

Tooth…and claw.  Or missing tooth.

Every time I see this ugly snaggletooth head in the mirror…I know who I am.  I know what I’m prepared to do, if need be. 

Life is short…& it’s a wild mess.  You don’t have to win all your battles…in fact you will probably lose most of them; most of us will. 

But if you can get a few licks in…do a bit of good here and there…

then I don’t see how anyone can ask any more of you. 

One or two good deeds along the way…

& that’s one or two things not even god can do.

Get in…& help out. 

One or two things along the way to help another human being or two…& as far as I’m concerned? 

You ARE god. 

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