Marc the African Silverback Gorilla often had this to say when we were discussing "TIC" *this is China".
"What you gonna do" he'd often say. Hehe.
Which he was right, a lot of the "This is China" things... there's not much "a single person" can do.
It's about collective thinking, when peoples mindset as a WHOLE changes - right down to the idiocy about skin color, foreign devils, dancing monkeys, idiotic rules set up to oddly enough, shoot themselves in their own feet ... and so forth.
But I dont know, to me, it's also another memory, that of my Dad's friend once telling my Mom when she was (at the age of 17, before going to college) (as usual) "stop me from drinking beer" (which I hid and did anyway - including smoke fags etc - pun intended, and not, hehe - without anyone knowing about it. I suspect Dad knew a little, but as long as Mom didnt know, he didnt give a shit either way. oddly enough Dad's house was one when he was growing up, "all was allowed"!! Mine? Think AGAIN!) ...
"How will you stop him when he leaves the house" was what this guy said.
From a lifelong drinker and smoker, and quite like an Uncle of mine who passed years ago, so SAGE!
My Mom, of course, the next day complained about it.
"What if it were his own son!"
Well, he woudl probably have said the SAME thing, friend.
True, his "own son" wasnt a rebellion "do it my way" sort.
Much like my older cousin wasnt.
And therefore, both of them were the "ideal sons" for my Mother. actually, everyone was for her - except me. Hehe. Bozo Schofield would be too, I'm sure!
But anyway ...
I remember an instance in middle school where I was WHACKED - hard - by Dad (who claimed "I should beat you with an iron rod like the police do!") when I did nothing but "push back" against an idiot girl in school taunting me.
Not being content to make me stand outside class for the whole day in the heat, apparently "she was a girl" "so she could do anything".
And of course, my mom fed into this too, and growing up, in my family, it was all about "what made Mom happy".
The sheer rage I feel NOW at it when I think?
It isn't because he was physcially stronger than me at that age (physically my Dad has never been "strong" in any which way).
It was the way in which that sort of thing shattered my self confidence.
Right from the age of 3, when my mom pushed me against the wall - three corners closing in - I still remember it - for the cardinal sin of puking in the swimming pool (havent we all done it at some point??) - at the age of 3 - right after lunch (when I told my wife, she was like "jeez, at least go a bit AFTER lunch!") ... it was always that way.
Now, why do I bring these two instances up.
Because, as I've said before, a LOT of us feel this way ...
A great customer of mine once emailed me saying he had an abusive father too - who once told him "not to take more milk" from the breakfast table.
All the abuse caught up, and this guy, at the age of 13 bopped him one straight on the NOSE.
Needless to say the abuse stopped thereafter.
My own confidence was too shattered to do even that tho, plus I was always a "small specimen" (no, Vincent, I was not always a big dude, hehe) physcially...
But it was things like "women can do it" but men can't that always amused me.
In school us eighth graders would make boobs out of handkerchiefs, we got found out.
Routine guy thing, you'd think.
Yet the hammering I used to get at home for it - oh boy!
I remember asking Abhishek Raathi, a friend of mine about it - what HE got at home.
Beyond the routine scolding, nothing.
And dont get me wrong - I Dont condone disrespect - but neither do I condone NO goose and gander.
Look, "just because he's a boy" doesnt mean he can be whacked and brutally punished - while women get away scot free.
Especially if you're a kid doing what kids do ie PRANKS!
But that was life for me growing up in a Nazi feminist household.
Today?
If physically or otherwise attacked by anyone - woman or man - or in between Bozo - I'll go after them and then some.
I could care less if they are weaker or stronger. Like Charles once famously told me.
"I dont care who they are - woman, man or child - if they deserve a whack, they're getting it".
Its sad the world has come to this, of course.
But as my own wife said, people have no feelings anymore for anything - or anyone.
And a lot of it is due to our experiences growng up and such.
But anyway ...
I grin every time I think of it "what are you going to do now" statement.
It's so fuckin true ...
And lesson herein for YOU with kids.
REmember, you can beat them NOW.
You can berate them until the cows come home!
(Speaking of which, my Mom oddly enough never said a word against the makers of the super hit Hindi Film Khalnayak which WOMEN loved too! - which really made the "boobie" thing popular in school at the time)
(She took it out on me though for sure!)
Anyway, you can do all that - now.
But what exactly will you do once they grow up, friend.
They're going to do what theyre going to do, and the more extreme the abuse growing up, chances are in many which ways, the more extreme the PERSON becomes.
To me, I have channeled my own "anger" into succesful businesses - and indeed, when someone attacks me, my first thought is "how can I profit off this".
And I usually DO!
But not everyone is like that.
Look at Glyn - look at the criminals globally - look at serial killers, the "worse than scum" paedophiles etc, one common thread amongst them all is a very unhappy and turbulent childhood.
And, look at the successes - a LOT of them have the same thing.
All depends on what you DO with life, and the lessons it imparts, but if you have kids, I'd say you should bear all this in mind, and then some, when dealing with them!
My Mom often asked me if "we should have let you run wild!"
Oddly enough, the fascination I had with running wild would probably never be there if that were to be the case. Hehe.
Fact, as the Bozo would say as well.
Anyway ............................
Lifelong fitnes is another lesson ya'll should impart to your kids.
And Kiddie Fitness does the trick very well indeed.
Have at!
Best,
Rahul Mookerjee
PS - Adult version of the above course here. If you want some, come GET some.
