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when i was younger i used to get into fights. not all the time, but from the the time i got into 4th grade up until 9th grade i definitely remember getting into at least one fight per school year, and getting suspended because of it.  the wildest part was that i rarely ever fought anybody my size; it was always a kid who was bigger, and way more brolic than me.  Not that i’m big now, but i was definitely a skinny kid.  being the youngest of four didn’t help matters any either, because i cant remember EVER winning a fight against my older siblings.

i remember my mother used to tell all the time me that my mouth was gonna get me in trouble, and she was right, because almost every single fight i got in was because of some smart shit i said.  whether that was unapolgetically laughing at a joke somebody else told about a kid twice my size, or just mouthing off to a kid that i knew i shouldn’t be mouthing off to, my mouth constantly wrote checks that my fists weren’t prepared to cash. there were plenty of times when the kid who was bigger than me just looked at me as a easy victory because i was smaller too but even then i’m sure i could’ve probably avoided the entire thing by keeping my mouth shut.

at any rate, now that i’ve grown up what i noticed about fighting is that it always involves a great deal of anger and rage; moments where somebody basically loses control and does something to somebody that they probably end up regretting the next day.  so i’ve always felt really uncomfortable with my anger.  and truthfully i’ve overcompensated by appearing more relaxed and composed than i really am sometimes. but all that leads to is not having an outlet to vent that anger in, and anger without an outlet is a very bad idea.

so this december i had the wildest idea to just buy a heavy bag and some boxing gloves.  i set it up in my basement and now whenever i get frustrated with how a day is going or somebody is an asshole to me I just throw on the gloves and hit the bag.  I know you’re probably thinking “al, what’s the difference, your still upset and punching something? and that’s not good”

well here’s the difference.