The Brick

The Brick

Back in the fifth grade over winter break my brother and some cousins and I were playing football in the back yard of our house. We were all in the middle school age of fifth through eighth grade and were boys, which meant that we were all hot heads. Well, I remember it was cold and we had been playing for a while when the ball went over the fence into one of our neighbors’ yards, as it was wont to do.

It wasn’t my turn to go and get it - I will swear that until the day I die. My brother refused to go and get it.

Well, you know how it is in any relationship, it isn’t really the little thing itself that two people are arguing about or fighting over? Other things have happened and things just build up until some petty little thing sets one or both people off. Well, that set me off. We started into it. I went after him. We went into the house. I went after him. I kept after him as we went down the hall past my room toward his when he stopped and turned and I let fly with a roundhouse. He ducked and I hit the wall. I apparently hit the wall dang hard. I can remember this really sharp pain.

I went down and stayed down.

Mom wasn’t home. But, she was coming home soon and it was clear that I wasn’t just in pain, I was really, really hurt. We were all more scared of getting in trouble for me getting hurt than we were about the injury itself. To this day my right thumb is offset, as when it was set in the cast the next day it was not set correctly. Never mind that having it injured in that way forced me to learn to do many things left handed, which has helped me throughout life.

On Saturday December 16 when I broke the brick at Seattle Tae Kwon Do during my Black Belt Exam I thought back on that incident as I willingly sent my right fist into the brick. See, I also fractured my right wrist twice as well, my freshman and junior seasons playing goalkeeper for Washington State.

My hand did not break this time ... the brick did though.

Yes, my right hand is bruised and a bit swollen.

When later that evening a lot of the parents asked me if it had hurt I simply decided to tell the truth.

Yes, it hurts when you break a brick with your fist. It is still a brick after all.

But, I would add, it was well worth it.