Unforgettable Things I Have Heard

November 25, 2023

In junior high, physical education class was a dread. We younger guys were mixed in with high school upper-classmen including seniors. Frequently, things got rough, if not out of hand, during sports and in the locker room.

Even the coaches had fun abusing us with endless pushups and running us extra laps until our sides hurt or until we vomited. Though I did not know the words for it then, this was a culture of sanctioned male aggression. I will never forget the sign above the locker room doorway, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Though this saying may be true, in the culture of bullying, it meant to me that systemic cruelty was approved of by those in authority.

One day in eighth grade PE, a bully picked a fight with me. I would be a dead duck if Cecil Brazell, a husky and strong friend, hadn’t come between me and the bully. Amazingly, the bully backed off when Cecil warned him, “That’s Joseph, leave him alone.”

The bully turned away and joined his cohorts. I thanked Cecil, whose words still reverberate in my soul. I was a nobody and certainly not “tough,” but I was affirmed by Cecil as someone of value. This is when I began to believe it too.

The soul affirmed brings deeper joy than the ego praised.

Inquiry: What were your responses to bullying?

Dear God,

I am so thankful for my friend Cecil and all the Cecil’s in the world. Amen.

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