An eventful summer

I've jumped around before and I'll jump around again.

Today I tell you about an encounter I had with a belt buckle when I was fourteen.

No, it was not attached to my dad's belt. It made its way into the back of my skull, having arced through the air fastened to a strop of cow hide after the whole of the weapon was stripped from the Levi loops of my seventeen year old shit for brains delinquent assailant.

Let me start at the beginning.

Briefly : We lived in Pierson Hills, a new FHA housing project in Peoria off west Nebraska. We didn't live there for but a year. During that time I attended Sterling grade school, eighth grade, played JFL football, delivered the Journal Star with my best friend, Mike, ran my forehead full speed into an aluminum playground light pole while trying to catch a football (probably the primary reason I had trouble catching anything thrown at me since) and a zillion other things that will come back to me like they always do.
Okay, so its summertime, early evening. I don't recall what day of the week, but if I were to guess I'd have to say Saturday. (I'm going to drop names because its exactly true as I recall, and the only bad guy and his family don't likely read this stuff and I don't care if they do ; in fact, I'd be more than a little flattered, willing to battle any lawsuit they might manufacture at my expense).

Envision this. I'm going to shotgun events because they occurred in high speed buckshot impaction mini-sequencing.

Moment :

the TV is on. I'm lounging on the floor. My mom is on the couch. Salim, my awesome step dad, is there and my uncle, Adel, is in the room. Someone is at the door. I get up, open the door, see somebody through the screen, hear him say something about how I told his brother I could kick his ass (total bull), followed by a fist firing through the screen door, lighting on my face and knocking me onto my butt into the living room.
Cliff's description :
i got up
pursued
caught him in the courtyard
we scuffled
his name was Stetler
he was one violation from St. Charles
his dad attempted to get in on the action
Salim put an end to that
Stetler was not winning shit
Stetler backed up
Stetler pulled his belt
he swung on me
i got hit a good one
blood everywhere
my white tee shirt turned red
he had lit my fuse
he struck out
i caught it
i pulled him in
my knees went to work
he doubled over
he let go
he ran
his mother jumped on my back
i shrugged her off
i gave chase
he escaped into his apartment
i ruined his screen door
the police took me to Methodist Hospital
the Ambulance took Stetler to St. Francis Hospital
i got four stitches
he got his ruptured appendix removed
i got interrogated
he got incarcerated

what did I learn from this? Stand back from the screen door. I'm sure a lot more happened ; i was slightly engaged.