Before Times: In The Shadow of Societal Giants Part 1

I didn’t feel like I had a problem with bullies in Public School.

I had been bullied, to some degree, at every school I went to.

I just tried to ignore it.

At the time, I didn’t understand why.

I mean I’m at school trying my best.

I figured it would inspire others to try their best as well.

I was mistaken…

Or at the very least miseducated on the barren spirits of my peers.

At Allen Temple A.M.E….

I gained the spiritual revival I needed after the passing of my father.

Unfortunately, it caused a riff in my own understanding of how to pass that spiritual revival to those who did not share the same belief as I.

After the aforementioned, I began to understand a spiritual connection was not possible; not at the current stage in life.

As I grew, so did the jealousy and envy in those whose only belief system was believing they are better than everyone else.

Purely from early childhood athletic ability

Better than… even me.

A conscious riff; I could not bridge.

I come from an Old School Varisty Basketball Player and a Collegiate Gymnast.

How could they see themselves as greater than me in this arena?

2005 | 7th Grade | Barber Middle School | PE Class | Basketball

We will just call them Team Hubris

Their ego was their religion

We will call my squad Team Righteous

We were mostly Christian and held those belief systems

Team Hubris normally had their way. Their excessive self-confidence destroyed the confidence in opposing teams.

It was normally a win in blowout fashion for Team Hubris.

Team Righteous has been winning by smaller margins, but maintaining a sense of sportsmanship.

The day came where Team Righteous and Team Hubris face off.

This wasn’t a normal day in PE Class.

I could feel something was coming.

Expectations where high.

I sensed there could be a fight…

Tip-off Time Has Arrived.

At this point in my life, I’m an average basketball player.

I’m not expecting to have a large impact on the game.

I’ll probably just play defense and get some rebounds… maybe a few assists.

The Game Clock starts.

As I pace from one side of the court to the other, I realized that all of our humble role playing was beginning to work.

Our shots are going in.

Theirs are too.

The rate was similar.

When Team Hubris noticed the game was getting late and they weren’t blowing us out already, the hubris turned to frustration.

They started missing shots.

As they notice the rut they are in, they up their level of play.

At this point, it is too late.

Team Righteous isn’t turning the ball over.

Team Hubris isn’t getting transition buckets.

We are able to maintain our slim margin of victory all the way until the last 4 seconds…

I pull a JR Smith before he ever even went to Cleveland…

With 12 seconds left, Team Hubris gets the rebound.

They take a shot.

They miss.

We get the rebound

We take a shot

We don’t miss

They bring the ball up the court and take a shot with 6 seconds left.

They miss.

We are too close to victory to give up now.

I jump up and grab the rebound.

I begin dribbling the ball to the other side of the court.

Why not take a last shot of my own

My Teammate: “Hold the ball!!!

Branden! Hold the ball!”

Little did I know, one of the players of Team Hubris was chasing me down from behind to steal the ball for his own last second shot.

Fortunately, I listened to my teammate and held the ball for the final seconds.

Unfortunately for the Team Hubris Player, he couldn’t take a loss well.

The buzzer sounds.

The game is over.

Team Righteous wins.

The Team Hubris Player did not take the loss well.

After the buzzer sounds, he jumps on my back and starts attacking me while making attempts to hit the ball out of my hands.

I don’t respond favorably to attacks, especially not attacks that I don’t see coming.

As he is attacking me, I pull a power bomb maneuver out my “bag”.

I swing his legs around, grab them, and pull a WWF suplex on him.

Slamming him on the ground.

PE teachers blow their whistles and make everybody sit in lines

I feared my mother wouldn’t approve of my actions.

But I had to defend myself.

I don’t like bullies.