I was almost always a head or more taller than anyone else in my grade growing up

I was the tallest child in my family on both sides always like my uncle. He was 6 foot 6 inches tall as an adult with very broad shoulders. I grew to about 6 feet 5 inches tall by ages 21 or 22 years of age and was 6 feet 4 by age 16 when I bought a car and started driving.

However, when I was 12 years old my father sat me down and said, "Freddie! You have to be the adult in the room at all times now. You have a temper but you cannot let anyone rile you or else someone is going to wind up dead. No one will be able to stop you in time to save someone's life!"

I listened to this and thought about how bullies were in school. I found myself in the position of protecting smaller people both boys and girls when I could. But, I also understood the problem of Name calling and how that could cause problems too. So, I listened to my father to keep myself and everyone around me alive and well even if they didn't deserve it.

Today often this has changed for people especially if they are carrying weapons like guns and knives or they belong to gangs. However, this wasn't as much of a problem where I went to school in Glendale mostly in California. However, my parents moved us away from Roosevelt Junior high school there because of the Khaki Boys Gang then in 1960 to a wealthier area at that time in Glendale. There were no gangs then at Woodrow Wilson Junior High school then and likely not now either. But, I don't know because I haven't lived in Glendale since 1969.

The point is if you are big for your age often you aren't going to get beat up because you are too big and too strong for people to succeed at fighting you. This was my experience then. But, because you are big you have to protect those smaller than you from harm by psychologically unbalanced people of all ages.

This just goes with the territory of growing up.