It was field day....6th grade... three days left until summer break. For those of you who are of the generation where we don't make kids exercise anymore because it might hurt their feelings, "FIELD DAY" is a day at school where you don't have to do any work.. it's filled with events like sprints, wheelbarrow races, and plenty of food and cookies.
Anyway, after the events were over, we all had to line up on the playground to get ready to go back into the building. And when you're in line, you are NOT allowed to talk. Well, Tommy Kenton was talking and the teacher says. Who was talking in line?, and I immediately blurted out "Tommy Kenton was". I had completely forgotten that not only was Tommy Kenton bigger than me, but I had also just witnessed him pick up an entire container of Kool Aid during field day---it must have weighed at least 30 pounds. At about the same time that fact had dawned me was the exact same time that Tommy looked back at me and says.. "Hey Goth (they called me Goth back then).. after school, you're a DEAD mother fucker ! And yes, he threw the "mother fucker" in there and slammed his fist into his open hand just to drive the point home. SHIT!!! I had a serious problem. I had just won every single foot race that day--- nobody in the school could could outrun me--- and that was going to come in real handy for the next 3 days.
Sure enough, at 3:00, I head out the door to walk home, and there was Tommy-- jacket off and sleeves rolled up to expose his massive 10" arms. I hit the nitrous button and was gone. He never had a chance. Same story next two days after school.
But over the summer, I started thinking, Fuck, I cant keep doing this. I have to face this bastard at some point. I'll NEVER get a piece of ass if girls see this shit. So I started doing chin-ups in the back yard off the swing set and pushups. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew that I was never going to snitch on anyone ever again. Apparently it was NOT cool to be a suck ass.
7th grade comes 3 months later.... new school with many more students from other schools and it's the first day of gym class. I'm in the locker room with all the other boys changing into gym gear, and as soon as my Mr. Rogers-inspired sweater and T-shirt come off, every kid in the locker room was aghast and freakin over my arms... kept asking me if I lifted weights and worked out etc... I had no idea what they were talking about. I didn't even realize my body had responded over the summer. From that point on, I was hooked. I had crazy genetics for building muscle, and I suppose you could say that I didn't find bodybuilding... it found me.
OH... and 2 days later I see Tommy in the hall--- I was feeling cocky and confident. Tommy sees me, looks down at the floor and never said a word. I never saw him after that because my dad took a job in another city, but after 40 plus years all I have to say is.... "HEY TOMMY, IF I SEE YOU, YOU'RE A DEAD MOTHER FUCKER"