Comments on: God forgive me https://habitablezone.com/2015/12/01/god-forgive-me/ Sat, 25 Apr 2026 16:17:27 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tony https://habitablezone.com/2015/12/01/god-forgive-me/#comment-34272 Tony Wed, 02 Dec 2015 16:28:11 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52980#comment-34272 Nicely done! :) Nicely done! :)

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2015/12/01/god-forgive-me/#comment-34269 ER Wed, 02 Dec 2015 15:07:59 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52980#comment-34269 When I was still in my teens, I was out for a ride with some of my no-account pals, and we stopped at a convenience store so one of us could hop out and buy a pack of smokes. The place was crowded, so I pulled into a "No Parking" spot; since we were still in the car and the motor was running, we could leave in a jiffy if it was necessary to do so. A little kid came by, maybe 10 or 12, and stuck his head in the passenger window and pointed to the sign, and whining in his most annoying and smug little voice "You are NOT allowed to park here. You need to move NOW." In my glove compartment I knew I had a water pistol (To this day, I have no idea why!). I reached over, opened the latch, pulled it out and squirted the kid right in his face. It was just water, it was harmless, no real harm done, but the kid realized that not only had his petulant self-righteousness been instantly and completely deflated, in front of a bunch of strangers (who by now were howling with laughter), but that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He knew he had been publicly insulted and humiliated, and I suspect he also realized he fully deserved it. His face showed anger, real rage, but only for a moment. And then he burst into tears. He ran away, not in fear, but in shame. After all these years I still remember that moment clearly. Its one of the things I've done I'm most proud of. I don't really know if I killed a monster while it was still young and vulnerable, or if I created one. But it doesn't matter, it felt so <em>good</em>. When I was still in my teens, I was out for a ride with some of my no-account pals, and we stopped at a convenience store so one of us could hop out and buy a pack of smokes. The place was crowded, so I pulled into a “No Parking” spot; since we were still in the car and the motor was running, we could leave in a jiffy if it was necessary to do so.

A little kid came by, maybe 10 or 12, and stuck his head in the passenger window and pointed to the sign, and whining in his most annoying and smug little voice “You are NOT allowed to park here. You need to move NOW.”

In my glove compartment I knew I had a water pistol (To this day, I have no idea why!). I reached over, opened the latch, pulled it out and squirted the kid right in his face.

It was just water, it was harmless, no real harm done, but the kid realized that not only had his petulant self-righteousness been instantly and completely deflated, in front of a bunch of strangers (who by now were howling with laughter), but that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. He knew he had been publicly insulted and humiliated, and I suspect he also realized he fully deserved it. His face showed anger, real rage, but only for a moment. And then he burst into tears. He ran away, not in fear, but in shame.

After all these years I still remember that moment clearly. Its one of the things I’ve done I’m most proud of. I don’t really know if I killed a monster while it was still young and vulnerable, or if I created one. But it doesn’t matter, it felt so good.

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2015/12/01/god-forgive-me/#comment-34244 Jody Wed, 02 Dec 2015 01:59:50 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=52980#comment-34244 My work is done. Never has "Mama, you asshole!!" sounded so good. My work is done. Never has “Mama, you asshole!!” sounded so good.

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