Not the Face! Not the Face!

Shortly after my twin brother, Steve (top photo, yes we are wearing the same shirt) and I arrived in the little south Florida town of Jupiter he was accosted by a gang of toughs on his way to junior high school.

One stepped forward and threatened my brother:
"Stay away from my girlfriend or I'll kick your ass," he explained. My brother didn't even KNOW the girl. Apparently she had remarked that he was "cute" and it was instant "Capulets vs. Montagues.

"I'll kick your ass, " he explained.

In a fistfight, my brother led with his nose which could projectile-bleed on command. It was a defense mechanism- like a porcupine or blowfish. His tormentors would recoil in horror at the sight of nose blood spraying their stupid "Ford, the Breakfast of Chevys" t-shirts. Most of his "fights" ended without a single punch thrown.

The easiest way to tell us apart was knowing that it was he who walked the school hallways, with his head tilted proudly back, chin up and nose thrust regally in the air sporting a bloody tissue dangling from one nostril.

I simply started throwing punches immediately when challenged which put the bully on defense. Invariably he'd go in to wrastling mode to get out of the way of my merciless windmilling fists of fury and the fight would end in a draw.

Most importantly, it left my face intact.