An Irish Temper and an Italian Attitude | Eastern North Carolina Now

   A younger brother's repressed memory rises up after seeing a picture of two kids boxing.

    The picture from Ted McDonald's post of the two young boys boxing caused a flashback of a painful memory of those afternoons I spent fighting in the paper office for my semi-manager brother. (Click here to see Ted's post - TMc: Observing the Obvious 03) Here is another picture that is closer to my memory explained below, it is not as cute, but it is closer to my own experience.

   In 1955, I was ten years old and my brother Jim was 15. He had a paper route and the paper office where we gathered to collect papers was only two blocks from my house. He would often ask me to help him because he did not like to deliver the papers early in the morning alone. Back then it was the Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta-Constitution. The Constitution was delivered in the morning and the Journal was delivered in the afternoon. Jimmy had both a Constitution and a Journal route. On Sunday, the papers were combined and delivered early in the morning (4:00 AM) so they would be available for reading before church. After he delivered the morning papers, he would go to school and after school, he would run his Journal route.

    We would gather at the paper office as if it was a clubhouse. It was a big room with bleacher type benches around the outside of the room. The center had tables where they assembled the sections of the paper. Here is a picture of the old paper office I took during one of Jim and my nostalgic tours of the old neighborhood.

    When I was younger, I had a terrible temper and was always getting into fights. I guess I inherited my Dad's Irish temper and my Mom's Italian influence had not yet asserted itself. The slightest thing would set me off. With a brother who was five years older, you might guess that he knew just how to push my hot buttons. I once threw a hammer at him after he kept provoking me and after that, he called me "Sledge".

    I had more than my share of fights and could not control my temper. Well, Jim decided he could make some betting money and goaded me into some boxing and wrestling matches in the paper office. I was a small kid for my age but Jim knew if I ever lost my temper I would just go wild and he might make a buck on his little brother's temper. I still don't know if he bet for or against me but I won a few and lost a bunch of matches. It is not one of my fondest memories.

    By the time, I was 13 I had control of my temper problem and have never had an issue again with it. It was cured with a combination of ass whippings and some solid discipline applied by my 7th grade teacher Robert Dunning and a strict dad. (here is a link to my memories of Bob Dunning)

    I don't remember the last time I lost my temper. The self-control was reinforced by the discipline required in combat, which I have written about before here: Calm down now, Don't get excited

    It is interesting that Jim and I are as close as any two brothers could be now, but the five-year age difference was a wide gap for many years. I have never brought the matches up with Jim and probably never will since I chalked it up to sibling rivalry.

    To explain about my dad's Irish temper I use one of his often repeated quotes: "I never carry a grudge, once I get even with the SOB, I forget all about it".

    As for my mom's Italian influence, it made all the difference in my life. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus". Philippians 4:6-7

   On this upcoming Saint Patrick's Day, I think back to my blended family and I am grateful for both the influence of both the Irish and Italian heritage. The first taught me how to survive but the latter taught me how to live. I spend quite a bit of time these days being grateful regardless of the holiday.

   PS: The icon picture above left was several years, and forty pounds ago before I broke the Irish drinking tradition.