The Big Kids at the Playground

I’ll never forget a scene I witnessed when I was around eight years old, give or take. This is unusual for me, since I don’t have too many childhood memories before age ten or eleven, but this one is etched into my memory, and I can still recall specific details with my mind’s eye.

Two smaller kids were circling each other on the school playground, on the precipice of a fight, but something held them back. Whether it was fear of pain, uncertainty of outcome, or a budding moral code, these two kids couldn't quite cross the line into physical confrontation.

In contrast, the bigger kids who had gathered around were impatient for a show. In spite of their constant chants to “Fight! Fight!”, they seemed unable to make the fight happen—until one of them took matters into his own hands. He moved behind one of the smaller kids, grabbed their arms, and forced a puppeteered punch onto the other small kid.

This perverse puppet show was brief, and I’m sure it was broken up quickly once punches star…