October 6, 2002

People nowadays are surprised that I have a bad temper. That makes sense, because I've eliminated a lot of external stress in my life, as well as being doped up to the gills with anti-depressants. I've mentioned it before.

I was a raging nut when I was a kid.

Throwing backpacks and binders and overturning chairs. Yelling and screaming, tears running down my cheeks and snot dribbling down my chin.

It was not pretty.

And it was worse in P.E. class. C'mon, I was a scrawny 70 lbs kid with no athletic ability, and you place me with these 6" tall 200 lbs Hessians and metalheads. Of course I was going to get teased.

Some kid, I don't know who, was talking shit during softball while I was at bat. Of course I struck out, not wanting to really play anyway, but I was still pissed, so I threw the bat on the ground and walked off the field, sat down on the hill and watched the game from afar.

The P.E. coach, who looked like he was chiseled out of red stone, bellowed, "Quitting Mister Lin?"

I thought to myself, Shit, he's going to give me a lecture about giving up and competition or some bullshit.

I yelled out, "Yeah! I'm quitting."

He muttered to himself, "OK then," and went back to his clipboard.

I have to admit that I felt a lot better after that, and I never got written up.

Ha!