I think where Justin may have become unbalanced as far as violence
was concerned was from his older brother Ryan. He was a guy who at
turns could be exceptionally cool our terribly cruel. As we got older
Ryan, his cousin Nathan and I got to be better friends than Justin
and I but early on he was a terrorist. Over at Justin's house we
would spend a lot of time jumping and wrestling out on the
trampoline, that was fun. If Ryan saw us he would rush out and abuse
us which was not fun. One thing he loved to do was run out to the
tramp full speed jump on and throw every one who was on the tramp off
onto the ground. He was doing this in emulation of a very popular
professional wrestler at the time called the 'Dingo Warrior'. The
real Dingo, who would later change his name to 'The Ultimate
Warrior', would run as fast as he could down the gangway and into the
ring and start shaking the ropes up and down as hard as he could.
After the ersatz Dingo had thrown us all off the tramp he would
demand we got back on, which was mandatory because if you didn't and
tried to run the punishment was doubly bad. I really know how The
Clash felt when faced with the same conundrum; if I go there will be
trouble but if I stay it will be double. We would usually climb back
on the tramp as he flexed and peacocked with his sleeves rolled up
and slapping his biceps and calling out in a deep wrestling voice
about the carnage he was about to bring down on us. Then we would be
pile driven and power slammed while we tried ineffectually to resist
the awesome power of the Dingo Warrior. He would slam us over and
over and put us in painful locks and chokes until he bored of the
game and then once again he would throw us off the tramp onto the
ground. The other game he had us play with for his amusement was
based on the blockbuster film Top Gun. He would pick up projectiles
usually small rocks, but he wouldn't turn a nice stick away if one
was at hand, and he would tell us to try and jump in a manner so as
to avoid being shot by him as he circled the tramp firing away at us.
When you were shot by a rock you were dead and got to stop jumping
and sit on the side until all of the MIGs were shot down by rocks and
the game would reset as another interceptor wing was launched and
started jumping evasively again. Unlike at our house where a bulling
game generally stopped when someone started crying, tears were like
pay to Ryan and why stop working when you are getting paid? It just
makes sense to work over time an get that time-and-a-half.
