Manners

I witnessed my first fight last night. It was wild. I’ve seen a dog fight before, and it was quite similar. The fight involved 5 big men and began with one small girl. Tempers flared. It went from 0 to 60 in seconds. I stood dumbfounded for some time, unable to believe that my eyes were seeing things correctly. Then I had to snap out of it because one guy had another in a headlock and I realized there was a possibility that he might possibly die. So I intervened.

I realized pretty quickly, no one could hear me. They weren’t ignoring me, they just literally couldn’t hear. I put

the thought in my head that they wouldn’t hurt me because I’m weaker than them, and hoped that it was true. They didn’t, by the way. They did actually fight on top of the girl who instigated the whole thing. It would have been funny if it wasn’t so intense. So I started petting them. I don’t know why that made sense to me. I just went with my instinct and started patting their backs and speaking soothingly to them. I kept saying, “You have to let go. You’re going to kill him. You have to let go.” Over and over.

The whole thing went on for a long time, and lots of stuff happened. I won’t bore you with the details. It was all violence and testosterone and pride. There was a gun at one point. Someone grabbed the girl into a moving car, through the window. The whole night was crazy. It was a full moon, so I kind of expected it. Not that, exactly, but something. Emily was passed out, after she puked into a cup :). That part was funny. She dragged herself out to make sure I was okay, and help me sort things out. Chastised the guy with a gun-not because he had a gun, but because he dared to take it out while I was nearby.

I was taking care of something else. I was trying to teach these kids manners. It makes me laugh now, thinking back over it. I made one boy give me his word that the girl would be safe going home with him. Told another that this was no way to repay hospitality. Told one boy that if you don’t say anything, they’ll get bored and leave. Told the girl that her son was awake and it was time to be a grown-up and go take care of him. I was attempting to correct the lifetime of bad habits all of them had. While they were drunk, high, and angry. I myself was a tad drunk and high myself, so that might be why I tried.

In the cold, sober light of day, I realize that whatever my intention, I couldn’t have been successful. They learned nothing. It was the right way to calm it down though. Once I got it broken up, they just yelled at each other. The whole thing made me realize how much I love manners. Polite people just don’t bring you down. They’re nice to be around. They may not be flashy or intense, but they’re kind of comforting. So if you’re a polite person, keep it up. It’s a dying art.

— Bekkie