The Boogie Man

 

The Boogie Man

At age four, my social group was limited to those kids that lived in the vicinity of our home at 432 Main St. and I usually played with friends who lived across from the St. Phillip Neri School retaining wall just down the street. Generally speaking, the environment was considered pretty safe and the prospect of abduction and pedophilia was remote, especially in our little Village of Northport. The biggest fear was the possibility of getting hit by a car, but with a little caution, kids could run and play some distance from the house with relative freedom.

There were some real fears, but the most prevalent as I recall, were imagined. For me, it was the “boogie-man”. Somewhere in the life of most four-year-old children, there is a boogie-man and I would deal with mine very soon. It was my early-life experience in terror. I was told by my peers that the boogie-man would strike and that possibility worried me. They also told me that there were “boogers” in my nose. I wasn't sure if there was any connection, but neither one was a pleasant thought and the specter of the boogie-man “getting me” was daunting. What would he do? Would he flick boogers at me?

As harmless as the proverbial “boogie-man” routine may seem it's a major consideration to a four-year-old. This little scenario may well be the birth place of bullying. At my young age it was difficult to separate fact from fiction with little or no previous experience in this vast world of fabrication and teasing. Is there really a boogie-man? Is he mean? Where does he live? How would he appear? Would he just jump out from nowhere and get me? How would I protect myself from him? Answers to my questions would come very soon and in the most unexpected way.

One fall day in 1950, as my friends and I were merrily skipping down the Main St. sidewalk toward Dr. Saltz's house singing our little songs and enjoying the freedom of just being a small kid, we happened upon an old man raking his leaves in the front yard of his Main St. Victorian home. He had several large fluffy piles which he probably was going to push into the storm gutter for a good old fashioned leaf burn in the street. We naturally dove into those soft pillowy leaves, enjoying the autumnal scent and softness as we threw them about and frolicked like puppies. Little did we realize that our trespass and behavior was counter to the old man's agenda. Little did we realize that we were trespassing at all. It seemed that the world was ours for the enjoyment and that our freedom was boundless. The old man, however had a different take.

It seems he thought he would scare me as he put down his rake and picked me straight up by the armpits. I was now several feet off the ground staring into the old man's weathered face. He scared me more than he had imagined! In an instant, I realized I was firmly in the grips of the boogie-man and fear struck the core of my soul like a lightning bolt. I was frozen in horror and in that instant, I lost control of myself and wet my pants, a reaction that caused the old man to release me without hesitation.

I don't think that experiences are not noteworthy unless something valuable is learned. That little snippet provided me with insight that has served me for a lifetime.

1. The boogie-man can surface unexpectedly and without warning.

2. The boogie man may be your neighbor.

3. In distress, you may never know how you'll react until you actually get there

4. The best defense is a good offense.

It has also helped me to understand my dog's philosophy, “when in doubt, pee on it” and move on!