[Mark Newman]

[This is a scene in which the students are discussing how the changes have affected their self-image.]

"Well I DEFINITELY am not seeing myself this way," said Harold. "Suddenly I’m a flabby black boy with a beer belly, and I don’t even drink beer. I can hardly stand to get out of bed in the morning looking like this," he said glumly. "I’m supposed to be a football player. How am I going to go to college now? I’m just a shrimp. A weakling. I want somebody to give me some reasons why I shouldn’t end it all as soon as I get home. I mean, what am I supposed to do?"

"Your name is –" [This is Marilyn, the discussion facilitator talking.]

"Harold. Harold Simmons."

"Thank you, Harold. That’s a very difficult problem you have, a terrible problem. It’s not just a matter of self-image you’re talking about, although that’s part of it too. Your career plans, your college plans, your daily life cannot continue as they have. Somehow you have to come up with a new plan, and it won’t be easy. I hope no one underestimates how hard this adjustment is for the boys, and for some, who relied heavily on their physical prowess, it is even harder than for most."

Kimberly looked sympathetically at Harold. "That IS tough Harold. Can you play other sports?"

Harold scowled. "With this body? And even if I manage to get it into shape, what are schools going to do about sports programs for boys? All the money, all the attention is just going to go to girls now, like you and Sandy."

Sandy looked down at her desk. Kimberly replied, "I know that seems unfair, but the other side of it, you know, is that Sandy and I never had those opportunities. Maybe now we will. I’m sorry for you, but you have to admit that you’re just having to deal with what we’ve always had to do. I mean, no matter how good we were in sports, with just a few exceptions we’d never be able to make a living out it. Now we might be."

"Oh, I’m really happy for you," Harold said sarcastically.

"Yeah, well I’m not gloating, Harold, but, you know …." Kimberly said.

"Maybe you could be a coach," Cecile suggested. "Or a scorekeeper? Or cheerleader?"

There was an uncomfortable silence….

[Mark Newman]

Okay guys. Obviously I haven’t been taking the tragic dimension seriously enough.

I think I’ll give the line to Harold, whose football scholarship and career are definitely now out of the picture.

[Mark Newman]

"Ok so I’m a shrimp give me some reasons I shouldn’t end it all as soon as I get home"

This is one I’d be feeling, because the cruel teen girl seems to be the norm in marknew’s stories.

Not ALL of them are cruel!

😉

Since there already two votes for that question, I’ll have to include it, although I’m not sure which character should say it. Perhaps Martin.

I certainly wouldn’t think "it’ ain’t worth it." Not being the stronger sex would not seem like a reason to abandon girls, or life, for that matter, although it might make me a bit more careful about where I walk at night. That said, I’m pretty careful already.

And I do think that everything’s gonna be okay tomorrow. There’s got to be a "Thursday" too.

[Mark Newman]

But they begin to learn from kindengarden that boys should not hit girls. So in this context, a boys physical power does not "normally" affect girl’s power structure.

Well, that’s what they should do, but it doesn’t always work out that way. One does read about boys using their strength to take advantage of girls, every now and then.

In the long run, the codes boys learn to live by (such as never hit a girl) would be eventually transfered to the girls, and a certain immunity would be confered to the weaker males, such as occurs today with girls. But I imagine there would be this whole adaptation period , where both genders wouldn’t really know how to deal with their power or lack of.

It’s that "transition period" I enjoy writing about, when no one knows exactly what the rules are, when suddenly the tables are turned, when demonstrative slaps become knock-out punches. "Oh sorry! Guess I don’t know my own strength, these days, heh-heh."

IMO, it would be much more interesting to see what would it be like to see girls become super strong and muscular, while retaining their normal inherent female behavior.

That’s the reason I’ve written the story with a large cast of characters, so that I can portray different reactions to the situation. From what you’ve said, I think you’d be more interested in how Michelle and Cecile react, as opposed to Theresa, Sandy and Celia. But it’s all there.

[Mark Newman]

One thing that the government would probably have to do fast, would be to quickly recruit and train females for the police, military and other important activities that require physical strength. That would probably be something to be announced by the president.

Good point. And no, I don’t plan to change the power structure or make Bush a focus of the story. It’s just a bit of background to show what’s going on beyond the lives of our main characters, like the newspaper references on other days.

But tell me, since I graduated from high school a (very) long time ago, is wit and intelligence the main tool for power in high school these days? In my day, it was strength and beauty.

[Mark Newman]

Terrific! MJ must now be quite a bit stronger than Black Cat!

If I were ever in that happy situation, I would try isometric exercises, working one muscle against the other, so that each would get continuously stronger. The perfect "virtuous circle."

Can’t wait for the next one. Poor Peter P.! He’s going to have a lot on his hands, so to speak.

[Mark Newman]

I agree, Rudi. There would have been a lot more potential for fun if Clinton were still President! I just don’t find daughters Jenna and Barbara interesting enough to write about, and Condi, well, I don’t know. But with Clinton, there were so many possibilities with Hillary, Monica, Chelsea, Paul Jones, etc. Oh well. Can’t live in the past. It’s a serious world out there. Gotta get them evildoers!

Thanks Cowprobe. I like the coed gym classes and the boys shrinking questions. Watch for them.

Keep them coming.

Mark

[Mark Newman]

I would not have made Gayle so disappointed in him. Instead, she would promise to return from time to time, bigger and more powerful each time, to rape and ravage — I mean play with — him.

[Mark Newman]

It WAS a strange second part of the story. But I liked the personality shifts. I only wish I hadn’t ended things with Gayle herself quite that way.

Rob, VERY clever of you to identify the story from the description. I wouldn’t have been able to do it.

Mark

[Mark Newman]

I think I will cover all that, Max. Thanks for your comments.

Mark

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