Fire in the Belly

There are many types of guys in this world. We have the soft type, the sensitive type, the patience type, the cowardly type, the gung-ho type, the hot-headed type and many more. Of course when I say that there is different type of guys, I mean their behavior and not their IQ or physical conditions. So what type of Men are your guy?

ol'Jon is the hot-headed + gungho + aggressive + tenacious type when I was younger. I'm also very smart and good in studies but when the goings get tough, ol'Jon is an animal. I've got into so many fights when I'm young
and crazy that I've lost count of. A lot of times, things would've been settled if I've just walked away or if I do not pursue the matter further. I would say 70% of the fights is avoidable but being me, I just fight it anyway! I remember back in 1999 when I was in a fight with a guy. I practically owned him and the poor sod has no chance that he had to bit me to get away. The reason I remember this fight was that after the fight, I was introduced to Silly Bean by one of my friend. :-)

As I grow older and wiser, some say richer; the fights turn to verbal fights and I got less and less of the action that I think, if the 2010 Jon were to fight the 1999 Jon, it will be over in round 1. In short, ol'Jon has gone soft, became patient and calm. There is 2 ways to look at this, the good side is that I don't get bruises and pains now but the other side of me hate it if I've walked away from a fight!

On Sunday night, God gave me a chance of redemption. I was having a bad back ache, driving back from my mum's place with Silly Bean and Natster in the car. My mood was affected by the back ache and the constant jams on the road. At the junction of my apartment's carpark, an idiot with a lousy slow car with big exhaust was turning out from the wrong direction. Common sense will tell you that if you're in the wrong, you move your(ugly and loud) car aside so that the RIGHT party gets to go home. But no, he ain't moving and we grind to a standstill with his car flashing wildly at ol'Jon. I was prepared to wait(though by now my mood has turn from moderate to bad) and sit it through. I mean you're wrong and I'm not moving an inch for an idiot like you.

And a standoff ensued, until the idiotic Indian driver decided to come out of his car and do some provocative hand languages. Without thinking twice, ol'Jon jumped out of the car, hand clutching a wooden bat and point it straight on to his face. Just like in the movie ol'Jon said; "Move your car now or I smash your silly little face right here!" He was shocked and sort of run back to his car, but after some thoughts and knowing that he has just ran away from a fight(feeling ashamed) he come out again and says, "Oh, if you want to hit me, then hit me" while looking the other way. ol'Jon was so tempted to slammed the bat at his puny head and was faking a strike. A reaction to hold his head and avoid the 'fake swing' makes him look more like an idiot.

After a few exchanges, he moved his car and I drive up with the agreement we settled this when I send my family home. Silly Bean was nervous as I park my car and wanted to go down. Her sad worried eyes tell me that I shouldn't be in a fight when Nathan and herself was now safe and sound. I look at her and told her, no fight is going to happen tonight. So coolly, I walk down to face that idiot who is still smarting from the embarrassment he had just now for chickening out. I walk down, talk to him in a stern voice saying that what he had done is wrong and he was on the wrong direction. Then he told me that I was wrong to threaten him with a bat and trying to pick a fight when it was not necessary. ol'Jon knew I was a bit over the top on this one and agree with him on the bat thing. But I asked him, "What would you've done if someone act aggressively at you and your family?" "Would you've not done the same thing as me?" He couldn't answer and he just told me he did not see my wife and kid. So I guess he kind of agree that I'm entitled to protect my family when provoked. In the end, no fight materialized and the crowd is disappointed. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed that I did not whooped his ass but accepted his handshakes. Gosh, I'm really grown old!

It took me a whole day to understand why the sudden aggression in myself when I've been a cool old head for a long time. I guess the situation that day triggers an automatic defense system in me knowing that I need to be more aggressive than the aggressor to keep my family safe. No man will allow harm to come to his family no matter how soft he is. And this incident makes me realize how important Nathan and Silly Bean are to me. Important enough to make an old man with a bad ache act like a 17 year old punk with limitless aggression and energy.

I felt pumped up, I felt good....most importantly I understand now that nothing is more important that Natster and Silly Bean...