Every grade in school I was always the tallest.
And every grade in school the smallest kid would pick on me.
I put up with it year after year, Christian upbringing, no fighting etc.
Then in 10th grade the smallest kid was at it again. Something took over me when he was waiting for me with his belt in his hand. Seemingly on auto-pilot I proceeded to beat the living crap out of him. Never got bullied again. Better late than never.
Something similar happened to me in Jr high. I was smaller and shy. One day one of my ‘friends’ talked another kid into walking up and socking me in the stomach. His first attempt wasn’t anything as it was at an awkward angle and I just said - what are you doing? Then he did it again. We started to square off and some older kids broke us up and then they left as I kept walking.
Well...he did it again knocking my glasses off soon as they rounded the corner. After that I blacked out. When I came to I was being pulled off him and people were streaming out of the resteraunt across the street to help break us up. There was blood on my boot. He was missing his two front teeth. I’ll admit I was bawling up a storm, just wanted to be left alone after taking so much crap so many years.
No one bothered me much after that, other than typical ribbing. We ended up being friends - oh not ‘good’ or ‘best’ friends but friends just the same.
Haven’t had a black out like that since, but have had issues controlling my temper. Wondered at times if it’s related to Scot/Irish blood in me and what some term ‘berserker’ rage where clan warriors would kill even their own in battle without knowing it.
Bullies have some kind of psych issue. I took their crap until I learned that fighting back was the only thing that worked. After doing that, they always wanted to be friends. Last time this happened to me was after high school, in the service. I took it and took it and took it and then I racked a mattock handle across his shins. Then he treated me like his best friend.