Anyone remember the movie from the late 70's/early 80's, about the Jewish kid that was being picked on? He buddied up with the 'meanest' kid in school, so mean he had shot his brother (later we learn that it was an accident, and the kid was really a softie...)
Well, except for being Jewish, that's kind of my story. I was a Charlie Brown-ish type kid that was 10 years behind the times (or so it seemed...I was really pretty up to snuff, but didn't look it.)
My parents both worked, my Dad at the Post Office and my Mom was a Nurse at the Hospital. So, when school let out, I would spend the summer at Day Camp.
Same story...the kids would pick on me on the bus to camp. I didn't have any friends on that bus; all my friends took a different bus.
Except for one. I was talking to my Mom tonight, and something happened that made me remember one of the better times of my childhood. This one 'big kid' (one or two years older than me, IIRC) saw how some of the other kids on the bus were treating me. One day, when I got on the bus, he called to me and said, "You come right back here and sit with us!" He and a couple of his friends always sat at the back of the bus, and I knew them, but that was their 'territory'. After that, nobody picked on me anymore, and we had a great time in the back of the bus, telling jokes and making up stories about people in the cars (he always had a great, rapier wit and could think well on his feet.)
After camp was over, we used to go and hang at his house. He was pretty smart, and would come up with some of the goofiest things I ever saw. Like the Vinegar and Baking Soda 'bottle rocket'. He tried to teach me to juggle, but I just couldn't get the hang of it. He and his friends used to juggle all kinds of things, and would go around the town every night juggling...on UNICYCLES!
A couple summers and we got along great, but then my Mom remarried and I moved out of town. I lost touch with him, but every once in a while I still see him here and there.
Like tonight, and what jogged my memory to think about all this. I saw him tonight. Unfortunately, he didn't see me. THere really wasn't a way for him to see me, and besides, he was working.
Maybe you saw him, too. He was on NBC at 9:00, on a show called Identity. He's the host...
Yeah, my 'bodyguard' was Penn Gillette.