Post by Mike Machado on Jul 21, 2013 2:22:13 GMT
“Your face looks funny!”
A young Mike Machado frowns at his four year-old classmate. Machado strokes his full and luscious mustache.
“It’s… my special lip sweater!”
The classmate guffaws at Machado.
“Lip sweater? It looks more like a caterpillar! MIKE HAS A CATERPILLAR FACE!”
Suddenly children are surrounding him – laughing and chanting
“CATERPILLAR FACE! CATERPILLAR FACE! CATTERPILLAR FACE!”
“My… special…”
Machado turns and tries to leave the confrontation, but is met by a much older kid – who shoves his shoulder into Machado’s gut – knocking him to the ground.
“Ugh!”
Machado struggles back to his feet while his classmates laugh and point and taunt him.
“So that was my childhood, Juan.”
Juan Carlos munches on a Dorito.
“Sounds pretty crappy.”
“It was pretty crappy. Ever since then I’ve just been picked on and cast aside for being different. I guess it’s been a while since anyone has called me caterpillar face…”
“You’ve blossomed. You’re a butterfly-face now.”
“It doesn’t matter, Juan. As long as I let them, there are always going to be Jake Keeton’s in the world to shove me down and laugh at me, and tell me that I’m not good enough. Or that I don’t belong and that I should just give up.”
Juan Carlos munches on another Dorito.
“This is all very inspirational, Mike – but it’s your in ring training that is going to make you a better. You can’t beat Jake Keeton with slogans and guts alone.”
Machado stands up and walks out of Juan Carlos office – deep in thought.
Lineage for me won’t be about championships.
It won’t be about the Imperial title – or the Heir to the Throne tournament.
Hell – it won’t even be about wins and losses.
This Sunday is about standing up for myself – it’s about showing Jake Keeton that I’m not just a doormat. It’s about showing him that no matter how many times he hits me – I’m going to hit him right back.
You’ve got this mean streak in you, lately – Jake; And you keep talking about how that isn’t who you are. That it’s just something that you have to do – but that isn’t it at all, is it?
It’s not something that you have to do – it’s what you and I default to. I’m the geek with the caterpillar face – and you’re the bully that’s going to shove me to the ground, point at me and laugh at me while I’m down. It isn’t something that you try to be – it’s just who you are.
But I’m not going to be your victim anymore.
This federation is my home – and I’m not the new kid in class. I’m not going to be anyone’s stepping stone or comic relief anymore.
You can only push a man so far before he has no choice but to push back – and that’s the position I’m in now, Jake. I don’t hate you – and you don’t hate me, but if you think that you’re going to walk into the ring and bully me, and shove me down and laugh at me…
You’re in for a surprise.
They say that when you’re bullied – all you have to do is stand up to them. That isn’t true at all – if you stand up – and then they push you right back down – well then you’re just in the same exact position, aren’t you? No – in order for this to stop I have to step up and put an end to it.
I’ve got to beat you – one on one in that ring.
And I will.
Young-Machado sits on the monkey bars, alone. He wipes the tears from his mustache and looks out into the sun.
“Mike? Are you… okay?
Young-Machado frantically wipes away the rest of the tears before twisting around and attempting to meet the voice with a smile. A young girl walks up to the monkey bars next to him.
“Oh, hi! I’m fine! Really! Look at this!”
Machado throws his leg over the monkey bars and dangles from them before attempts to flip off. He, of course, lands on his face – causing the little girl to giggle.
“Here!”
The girl tosses Machado a flower before running off, laughing to herself. Machado spits some sand out of his mouth and then looks toward the girl, bewildered.
A young Mike Machado frowns at his four year-old classmate. Machado strokes his full and luscious mustache.
“It’s… my special lip sweater!”
The classmate guffaws at Machado.
“Lip sweater? It looks more like a caterpillar! MIKE HAS A CATERPILLAR FACE!”
Suddenly children are surrounding him – laughing and chanting
“CATERPILLAR FACE! CATERPILLAR FACE! CATTERPILLAR FACE!”
“My… special…”
Machado turns and tries to leave the confrontation, but is met by a much older kid – who shoves his shoulder into Machado’s gut – knocking him to the ground.
“Ugh!”
Machado struggles back to his feet while his classmates laugh and point and taunt him.
“So that was my childhood, Juan.”
Juan Carlos munches on a Dorito.
“Sounds pretty crappy.”
“It was pretty crappy. Ever since then I’ve just been picked on and cast aside for being different. I guess it’s been a while since anyone has called me caterpillar face…”
“You’ve blossomed. You’re a butterfly-face now.”
“It doesn’t matter, Juan. As long as I let them, there are always going to be Jake Keeton’s in the world to shove me down and laugh at me, and tell me that I’m not good enough. Or that I don’t belong and that I should just give up.”
Juan Carlos munches on another Dorito.
“This is all very inspirational, Mike – but it’s your in ring training that is going to make you a better. You can’t beat Jake Keeton with slogans and guts alone.”
Machado stands up and walks out of Juan Carlos office – deep in thought.
Lineage for me won’t be about championships.
It won’t be about the Imperial title – or the Heir to the Throne tournament.
Hell – it won’t even be about wins and losses.
This Sunday is about standing up for myself – it’s about showing Jake Keeton that I’m not just a doormat. It’s about showing him that no matter how many times he hits me – I’m going to hit him right back.
You’ve got this mean streak in you, lately – Jake; And you keep talking about how that isn’t who you are. That it’s just something that you have to do – but that isn’t it at all, is it?
It’s not something that you have to do – it’s what you and I default to. I’m the geek with the caterpillar face – and you’re the bully that’s going to shove me to the ground, point at me and laugh at me while I’m down. It isn’t something that you try to be – it’s just who you are.
But I’m not going to be your victim anymore.
This federation is my home – and I’m not the new kid in class. I’m not going to be anyone’s stepping stone or comic relief anymore.
You can only push a man so far before he has no choice but to push back – and that’s the position I’m in now, Jake. I don’t hate you – and you don’t hate me, but if you think that you’re going to walk into the ring and bully me, and shove me down and laugh at me…
You’re in for a surprise.
They say that when you’re bullied – all you have to do is stand up to them. That isn’t true at all – if you stand up – and then they push you right back down – well then you’re just in the same exact position, aren’t you? No – in order for this to stop I have to step up and put an end to it.
I’ve got to beat you – one on one in that ring.
And I will.
Young-Machado sits on the monkey bars, alone. He wipes the tears from his mustache and looks out into the sun.
“Mike? Are you… okay?
Young-Machado frantically wipes away the rest of the tears before twisting around and attempting to meet the voice with a smile. A young girl walks up to the monkey bars next to him.
“Oh, hi! I’m fine! Really! Look at this!”
Machado throws his leg over the monkey bars and dangles from them before attempts to flip off. He, of course, lands on his face – causing the little girl to giggle.
“Here!”
The girl tosses Machado a flower before running off, laughing to herself. Machado spits some sand out of his mouth and then looks toward the girl, bewildered.
Well howdy there pardner.