Jack Hardison: Personal story

1. When I was a boy my family lived in a quiet neighborhood outside the capital
city of my state.
2. I did not have any brothers and sisters so I was selfish and did not handle
disappointment easily.
3. When I was nine years old a new family moved in next door that had 5
children.
4. I quickly became close friends with the youngest two, Andrew and Joel.
5. We would play for hours, then eat dinner, and play more.
6. Andrew, Joel, and I loved to fight with wooden swords and shields.
7. We used to pretend we were sailors or pirates fighting on old sailing ships.
8. We would pretend that we were knights or rogues fighting in great wars
9. We made our weapons out of tree branches and scraps of wood.
10.We would use saws, hammers, nail, screws, rope, and leather to make
weapons and shields.
11.Then we would run around in the woods behind our houses climbing trees,
jumping across creeks, and building forts.
12.There was this tree that had fallen across the creek that ran through the
woods and we pretended it was a ship, a fort, or a secrete hideout.
13.We fought imaginary knights and evil goblins.
14.We defeated dark lords and their dark hosts.
15.But eventually we got bored, so we started dueling.
16.One day, I made a shield out of strips of wood that I nailed together.
17.Unfortunately, the nails we a little short and although it held together, the
shield was not very strong.
18.As a finishing touch, I put the letter H on the front of it because that is the
first letter of my family name.
19.Then I took my new shield next door to play with Andrew and Joel.
20.So we started running around and playing.
21.Andrew was older and very good at fighting with a sword.
22.I was a bit younger and not quite so good.
23.But we fought each other anyway, like we usually did.
24.He attacked and I countered.
25.I attacked and he blocked.
26.Finally he swung his sword very hard and I blocked with my new shield and it
started to break.
27.When I realized that the shield was breaking I shouted Andrew , Stop it! so I
could fix my shield, but he did not stop.
28.He kept lunging and hacking with his sword and I had to use the shield to
defend myself.
29.The more he hit the shield, the more pieces broke off until finally the shield
was a few strips of wood hanging on the string I had used to hold it.
30.I was heartbroken because I loved the shield and I was angry because Andrew
broke the shield and did not stop fighting when I asked him to stop.
31.So I stormed off shaking my hands and head, muttering but saying nothing.

32.You see, I was did not know how to handle disappointment and was not used
to losing or not getting my way.
33.Andrew saw this and he did not let me get away with being that way; this
time or at other times.
34.It was hard, but eventually I learned to handle disappointment, losing, and
not getting what I wanted better.
35.I did not have any biological brothers and sisters but Andrew and his family
became brothers and sisters to me.
36.They taught me how to be a good brother and friend.
37.It is funny to think about it now.
38.Our relationship is not as close as it used to be, but I would say that I am
thankful for all I learned from Andrew and his family.