Be Nice, Asshole

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I totally remember the day I decided to be a good person. I was in Fifth Grade and we were on recess, fucking around in the back play area. We usually played kickball or basketball or tetherball.

I saw a pipe sticking up out of the ground and went and found a can. I put the can over the pipe and told some kid, 'I bet you can't kick that can over the fence!'

I can't remember who it was was, but it was certainly one of the less-cool kids who I never gave a thought to. He said, 'Oh yes I can!' and kicked the shit out of that pipe.

He dropped to the ground and rolled around in pain and I actually felt it. Not as much as he did, of course, but I felt it.

I felt horrible, but he never ratted me out. He was back in a couple of days and I never heard shit about it.

But that was my turning moment, I think. I might have fucked up his foot pretty good, but I walked away with the biggest curse  of all- Empathy.