"You can't hit me, because I'm a girl!"

(The 'Trailery" girl that I speak of isn't in this pic - this pic was taken 2 years earlier, but I am in this pic, and the correct principal - Mr Donald Baumer - is in this pic.)

There's a necessary and discernible difference between 'strong' and 'attitude'.  One should never be used as an cover-up or exchanged for the other.

A easy, magnified example:

In 1978, I was in Oakwood Elementary School, Hannibal, MO.

I'm not much of a (physical) fighter, because I am a weak, gimp, because it's Hoosierish and barbaric, and from the moment that I could think for myself as an infant, I made a pact with myself that I would make every attempt possible *not* to turn out like the rest of my family, which I have successfully accomplished.

Anywho, When I was in grade school, this Hoosier / Hooker looking, loud-mouthed girl approached me while we were playing in the cafa-audi-nasium (Cafeteria / Auditorium / Gymnasium) during a recess break.  I'm sure that this young 'lady' is still steeped in her trailerish squalor because she was wallowing so deep in it then that it would take a deliberate and strong, sustained effort to climb out of that society, and to make a respectable human being out of herself that not many people are willing to turn 180 degrees, and run in the opposite direction.  (Unlike Lot's Wife, I did such, and I never looked back, for fear that I would turn into a pillar of THEM.)

("Hoosier" in the St. Louis vernacular, not the Indiana usage  Scroll down to "Hoosier in Missouri":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosier)

Also keep in mind that, during this little exchange, the principal of the school was standing less than an arm's length from me and this young idiot girl.  

At any rate, Hoosier girl walked up to me and exclaimed loudly:

"You can't hit me, because I'm a girl!"
(Note that I never, ever did ANYTHING to this ill trained bottom feeder.)

Without missing a beat, I answered:

"Do you want to give it a whirl? I won't hit a woman... I won't hit a girl but I will readily attack a bitch!"

Still, with this look of justified entitlement on her face, she slapped me across the face.  

(The only other person I ever hit while I was in school was my older brother, because he was a jackass then, and he's an even bigger jackass now.)

With the only strong arm that I possess, I pulled back my left fist, and punched her squarely in the forehead.

That punch made her 'a bit dizzy', when she fell, she landed - lucky her! - with the back of her head on top of the principle's shoes!  

Principal Fredrick Baumer look down at the sleeping beauty that was using his shiny shoes as a pillow.  She had a large, red goose egg on her forehead (The red kinda clashed with her parrot blue eye shadow, but I digress.)

With one hand, Principal Baumer yanked this fool off his shoes and, with one hand on each shoulder, steadied her wobbly self in front of him until she could open her eyes, and look HIM square in the eye. 

The only response he gave about the entire ordeal to this girl was precious and priceless:

"Now, young lady.  I do believe you actually DID learn something in school today!"

And with that authoritative push that he was so well known for, he turned her body in the direction of the hallway, and shoved her off in the correct direction.

There is still a difference between "strong" and "attitude".

I'm still strong, and this person probably still has an attitude.

- Michael