\nI recall a surprising situation in which an accomplished social bully (call him B2) got outsmarted by a kid much younger and more benign (call him K1).<\/p>\n
\nOn a fine summer morning, near noon, I was out walking along the main road, looking for other kids. I found them assembled in a ditch around a drainage grate. It was right by a main path to the school, so very familiar to all of us.<\/p>\n
Central among the kids was B2, half-crying. He kept mentioning his “cactusine” … “Why did you have to dump it out?” he repeatedly asked another kid who clearly was indifferent.<\/p>\n
\nNormally B2 was the one making someone else miserable; I’d never seen him upset. An empty pale lay on the ground by the grate. Numerous conversations were going on around him; eight or ten kids might have been present.<\/p>\n
\nOverhearing various conversations, including ones involving B2, I was able, during the ensuing 10 minutes or so, to piece together the following story:<\/p>\n
\nIt started with the much younger, friendlier K1, whom I knew but not very well. K1 had passed B2 on his way home: K1 had been carrying the pale. B2 had asked what was in it. “Cactusine,” K1 had answered, explaining that it was a specially formulated soil for growing a cactus.<\/p>\n
\nCacti were exotic to most of the kids on that base, since it was on the North Atlantic. B2 had been intrigued and had asked K1 more questions about the cactusine. K1 had said he could get more, but not right away. B2 asked if perhaps he could have the pail of cactusine K1 was carrying. K1 had said yes he could, for five dollars. Somewhat surprisingly, B2 had had five dollars on him (which was a lot of money for a 9-year-old to be carrying back then), so had bought the pail of “cactusine” on the spot.<\/p>\n
\nNext, a well-known imp (call him I1) had appeared out of nowhere, as he often did, then shoved B2. This kind of antic was common from I1 towards anyone, but in that case, he had caused B2 to drop the pail of “cactusine.” It had fallen onto the grate, inverted, dumping the “cactusine” cleanly through the grate.<\/p>\n
\nThis was the height of summer, and it hadn’t rained in a week. Looking through the grate, one could see a neat pile of fresh dirt sitting on top of dried mud.<\/p>\n
\nK1 had left the scene right after the transaction, so hadn’t even seen the encounter between I1 and B2. I1, however, was still in attendance, rather triumphant and completely unapologetic about the situation. B2 was uncharacteristically deflated, looking down the drain at the lost “cactusine.”<\/p>\n
\nOne wonders how K1 sold B2 the idea that the “cactusine” was worth five dollars. B2 was generally a savvy, manipulative bully, and was at least three years older than K1.<\/p>\n
\nIf I ever knew K1’s name, I’ve long since forgotten. Perhaps it’s regularly mentioned in business publications:)<\/p>\nJack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane,<\/a> Campbell River, BC.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Self-tutoring about people and events from the past: the tutor mentions a score by a savvy operator. I recall a surprising situation in which an accomplished social bully (call him B2) got outsmarted by a kid much younger and more …<\/p>\n