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Whooping
"But whether you call it abuse or not, my dad got his point across, and he only had to beat me once or twice for me to get the picture."
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to this Commentary!
By Brandon McFarland
When I got in the house, I already knew what was going to happen. I was eight years old, and started crying hoping it would draw sympathy. After all, this was the first time I had really crossed the line with my dad. I mean he always made threats, but before, we always just had the stern heart to heart talk and that was it. But pops wasn’t having it this time!
He grabbed this black leather one with a gold buckle. “Come in here and close the door.” I wanted to say no, I wanted to run...but I did what I was told. Ten minutes of me screaming trying to block the blows to my bare legs, while my dad had a firm grip on my arm to keep me still.
The crazy thing is, to this day, I still don’t remember what crime I had committed to get in so much trouble. All I know is, I got caught and I never did it again.
Kids always feel angry about the things our parents do that we don’t understand and can’t control. But I wouldn’t call what I went through abuse. I have two loving, strict, and yes, sometimes-violent parents. I know it sounds like I’m covering up for my father’s out of control behavior. But whether you call it abuse or not, my dad got his point across, and he only had to beat me once or twice for me to get the picture. Which was -- “don’t get out of line.” And the truth is, when they disciplined me, my parents made sure the punishment fit the crime. For instance, pops never beat me for missing my homework assignment.
Now, I’m 19 years old. I’m entering adulthood with real consequences in front of me if I get “out of line.” I wish my dad’s belt were the worst punishment I had to face nowadays. Adults face the threat of jail, or losing a car, or even a job. Not that any if that stuff would happen to me – I’ve grown to be an upstanding young man. So, I just want to thank my father for bringing the responsible adult out of me the way he thought was best.
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