I was raised in Pocatello, Idaho which was a good thing for me. There were a lot of Mormon kids which made it easy for me to pick friends with same standards and thereby stay in tune with our principles. I am glad for that. I've never smoked a cigarette or a drink of liquor, even beer. I wonder how my life would be different otherwise. I have had enough trouble discliping my self regarding food, sweets, and my weight that I think it might have been real difficult breaking an addiction.
Last month, on the 5th of May, I did pass a milestone where I did do something similar. It was probably not nearly as difficult. That is on May 5th 5 years ago I gave up drinking Diet Coke. I don't know what made me do it, I was good for several giant 32 ouncers a day. It was a sudden decision. Something told me cola wasn't good for me and that I should quit. I did.
Somehow I had the will power to resist peer pressure. One day in High School,one of the tough kids in school, we called them "Hoods" back then pulled a switchblade knife on me and said he would cut my throat if I didn't smoke the cigarette he pushed to my face. My reaction surprises me even today. "Go ahead, cut my throat, I still won't smoke that thing", I said. Now in High School days I weighed about 145 pounds. Oops, how did I go up by 100? That's another obvious story. Anyway, I was no match for him should he have gotten tough for real. My answer seemed to surprise him, and he mumbled another threat and walked away.
In the big picture I think I was well liked by my classmates. But here is another related incident: one of our school football - baseball - basketball star athletes decided to take me out in a fight. I know I did nothing to provoke this. I am sure of that. But, here we are in the hallway after school and Duane Sims is yelling at me, dancing around like a pro boxer, and egging me on. We began to be surrounded by bystanders waiting to see death first hand. I began to wonder how bad this was going to turn out when from out of the crowd comes my switchblade buddy, with knife pulled out. He stepped out to rescue me if you can believe.
"Sims, this is my friend. I am his body guard and protector. If you ever do anything to him I make you pay, get it?" I still get chills over this.
At this point, I sure wish I could remember his name. Interesting who's name I remember.
The final chapter to this was at our recent 50th high school class reunion when a guy walks up to Kathleen and me and wants me to go look at his website. It was Sims. Shock. I am bigger than him now. Come on Duane, lets go out and rumble, right? No of course I didn't say that. I did say to his dismay, "Gads you don't look so big now". He sure looked befuddled.
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