Four days later and I'm still pissed at the situation. Actually I have not quite figured out if I am pissed with the situation, the dude, or myself. I guess all three would be the fair assessment, but as I think more about it, I can get over what I did and forgive myself. I just did what any good father would have done in the situation.
Sunday was a beautiful day by all accounts. Some of the best weather of the year, warm temperatures, bright shining sun, and had my kids for the whole long weekend. One of our favourite things to do, (my kids and I), is to go hiking through some of the conservation areas that the city and surrounding areas have to offer, do some exploring and take photographs. My shorties like taking pictures too, and despite their young ages, really have quite a good eye. I love seeing the pictures that they take, as they see things so differently from the way I see them.
My photographs are mainly landscapes and portraits. They will shoot pictures of mushrooms, stumps, jet trails from an airplane. Thinks I would completely overlook on any given day, but with their innocent minds, they still find wonder and beauty in these type of subjects. I gave them each their own digital camera, and a pack of batteries for Christmas last year, and it has turned out to be the single best gift I have ever given them. The cameras are used weekly and they never tire of them. On top of that, it gives us a common hobby, one where we can spend quality family time together.
So, back to the story...
Here we are on Sunday afternoon in a Durham area conservation area having a great day hiking and shooting pictures. My eldest is down by the river looking to see if there are any fish shat she can shoot as she has never taken a picture of one and really wanted to. My younger one was about 40 yards away taking some pictures of a couple of snails that she found hanging on to some plants by the side of the trail. She told me that she would catch up in a couple of minutes, and told me not to go too far away as she did not want to get lost, (she is 7 years old). I am about 30 yards away kind of in the bushes with a zoom lens trying to get a candid shot of her crouching down with the camera.
What I saw next was pure evil.
Kid about 17 years old comes riding down the path on his mountain bike. The path is at least 15 feet wide where she was crouching, and she was right on the side next to the bushes. Add to that the path was straight for at least 40 yards on either side of her, and she was wearing a bright pink shirt. The kid could not have been missed. Anyhow, the bastard on the bike rides right up beside her, slows down and kicks her square in the ribs. She falls to the ground on her face not making a sound. My fucking heart stopped beating. Bike kid then starts hauling ass down the path at top speed making his getaway. I jump out of the bushes about 5 seconds later just as he is about to pass me. I see the sheer look of terror in his eyes for about half a second as I give my hardest punch right for his teeth as he is riding full speed right towards me with no time to brake or turn. I put all 240 lbs. of my rage behind that punch and got a clean hit. He stops dead in his tracks, bicycle keeps going.
Yes I made sure he was still alive. It did however take a few seconds for him to wake up, and what I saw was not pretty. I think some dentist will be going on a nice long vacation in the not too distant future.
I run to my daughter and pick her up from the ground. With tears in her eyes she tells me she had the wind knocked out of her and asked what happened, the meantime my eldest is running towards me crying her eyes out as she has just witnessed the whole thing. The next part is what astounded me the most...
Eldest child (she is 10), completely takes charge of the situation. Gives little one the biggest hug I have ever seen and starts examining the little one to make sure she is ok. She asked all the right questions, examined her ribs, pushed a few places and asked where it hurt. She also wanted to see my hand to make sure that I was alright. She offers little one her sweater and offers to piggyback her to the car. I'm in frigging tears right then. I have never been so proud of either one of them. Little one says she does not want to let 'that asshole' ruin her day and she wants to keep taking pictures. I say I will be back in a minute and to stay right there as I want to check up on the bicycle rider and see if he needs any medical attention.
He sees me coming and runs for his bike and is off like a rocket, big blood trail behind him.
We spent another hour at the park and never did see a police officer.
I really have mixed emotions about this whole thing. Did I overreact? Is there something else I could have done? In the spur of the moment I reacted the only way I knew how, but still do not feel good about it, and am certainly not proud of what I did. One more freaking thing I have to talk to my therapist about now God dammit. Fuck sakes.
and for the record, this is the first time in my life that I have ever threw the first punch. I hate violence.
Sunday was a beautiful day by all accounts. Some of the best weather of the year, warm temperatures, bright shining sun, and had my kids for the whole long weekend. One of our favourite things to do, (my kids and I), is to go hiking through some of the conservation areas that the city and surrounding areas have to offer, do some exploring and take photographs. My shorties like taking pictures too, and despite their young ages, really have quite a good eye. I love seeing the pictures that they take, as they see things so differently from the way I see them.
My photographs are mainly landscapes and portraits. They will shoot pictures of mushrooms, stumps, jet trails from an airplane. Thinks I would completely overlook on any given day, but with their innocent minds, they still find wonder and beauty in these type of subjects. I gave them each their own digital camera, and a pack of batteries for Christmas last year, and it has turned out to be the single best gift I have ever given them. The cameras are used weekly and they never tire of them. On top of that, it gives us a common hobby, one where we can spend quality family time together.
So, back to the story...
Here we are on Sunday afternoon in a Durham area conservation area having a great day hiking and shooting pictures. My eldest is down by the river looking to see if there are any fish shat she can shoot as she has never taken a picture of one and really wanted to. My younger one was about 40 yards away taking some pictures of a couple of snails that she found hanging on to some plants by the side of the trail. She told me that she would catch up in a couple of minutes, and told me not to go too far away as she did not want to get lost, (she is 7 years old). I am about 30 yards away kind of in the bushes with a zoom lens trying to get a candid shot of her crouching down with the camera.
What I saw next was pure evil.
Kid about 17 years old comes riding down the path on his mountain bike. The path is at least 15 feet wide where she was crouching, and she was right on the side next to the bushes. Add to that the path was straight for at least 40 yards on either side of her, and she was wearing a bright pink shirt. The kid could not have been missed. Anyhow, the bastard on the bike rides right up beside her, slows down and kicks her square in the ribs. She falls to the ground on her face not making a sound. My fucking heart stopped beating. Bike kid then starts hauling ass down the path at top speed making his getaway. I jump out of the bushes about 5 seconds later just as he is about to pass me. I see the sheer look of terror in his eyes for about half a second as I give my hardest punch right for his teeth as he is riding full speed right towards me with no time to brake or turn. I put all 240 lbs. of my rage behind that punch and got a clean hit. He stops dead in his tracks, bicycle keeps going.
Yes I made sure he was still alive. It did however take a few seconds for him to wake up, and what I saw was not pretty. I think some dentist will be going on a nice long vacation in the not too distant future.
I run to my daughter and pick her up from the ground. With tears in her eyes she tells me she had the wind knocked out of her and asked what happened, the meantime my eldest is running towards me crying her eyes out as she has just witnessed the whole thing. The next part is what astounded me the most...
Eldest child (she is 10), completely takes charge of the situation. Gives little one the biggest hug I have ever seen and starts examining the little one to make sure she is ok. She asked all the right questions, examined her ribs, pushed a few places and asked where it hurt. She also wanted to see my hand to make sure that I was alright. She offers little one her sweater and offers to piggyback her to the car. I'm in frigging tears right then. I have never been so proud of either one of them. Little one says she does not want to let 'that asshole' ruin her day and she wants to keep taking pictures. I say I will be back in a minute and to stay right there as I want to check up on the bicycle rider and see if he needs any medical attention.
He sees me coming and runs for his bike and is off like a rocket, big blood trail behind him.
We spent another hour at the park and never did see a police officer.
I really have mixed emotions about this whole thing. Did I overreact? Is there something else I could have done? In the spur of the moment I reacted the only way I knew how, but still do not feel good about it, and am certainly not proud of what I did. One more freaking thing I have to talk to my therapist about now God dammit. Fuck sakes.
and for the record, this is the first time in my life that I have ever threw the first punch. I hate violence.