Author's note: Prior to reading this story, you might want to read a previous story of mine, "The Worst Month of My Life" as this is really a part of that story--my decision at fourteen that one week was long enough to be grounded.
Boy! I was really getting tired of serving my sentence of room grounding! I had been coming directly home from school and going straight to my room to stay until my bath and my trip to school the next morning for a whole week following my whipping with the peach tree switches. Spring was here--and summer vacation would begin in only one short week--I should be out every afternoon playing baseball!! --And yet, all I would hear from Mom when I came in the door...."Jonathan--Go straight to your room!"
After one week, I was bored sick--no tv, to radio, no record player, no telephone--Just bored--sitting in that wooden chair reading out of my geography or english book--the only thing that could make me forget my boredom was when my temper would rise and I would become furious. Here I am--expected to spend a WHOLE month being grounded, and I am fourteen--and dammit, I am too old to be punished! I made up my mind that I was going to have it out with my parents the next morning.
I got up at 6:30 and quickly got ready for school. I knew I had better hurry if I was to go down and tell Mom and Dad that I had been punished enough for shooting out the neighbors' window with my bb gun. I wanted to let them know this morning that I would not be spending the afternoon in my room--I had too many things to do.
I went downstairs.
"Jonathan! We didn't tell you that you could come down yet! You are supposed to stay in your room until we call you down." My father was talking to me like I was a little kid! I knew the rules...didn't he realize that I had decided to CHANGE the rules?
I was exasperated. "Dad, that is what I wanted to talk to you about. I have decided that I have learned my lesson and that it is time for my grounding to be over. I was planning to go to the store with some friends this afternoon and...."
"Hold it right there, young man!" My father seemed angry--and Mom seemed to have a shocked look on her face. Dad continued, "Hold On! You are grounded for one month--for the next week in your room, and then after that you will be working your butt off for two weeks to pay for that broken window!" Shaking his head in a most determined manner, "Have you forgotten about what you did and the punishment that you are serving?"
My anger was rising as I felt my face getting red! Did he think I was stupid? I'm an eighth grader--a high school kid! "Don't you understand me? I told you that I have LEARNED my lesson, and I don't NEED to be grounded anymore! I am GOING WITH MY FRIENDS TODAY!" How long would it take them to understand me?
Dad's face was red too, as he hit the table with his hand. "The Hell You Are! You will come right home from school, you will go right to your room, and you will stay there until tomorrow morning when we tell you to come down for breakfast! I don't want to hear anymore about it!"
With that, I threw my geography book on the floor. "I'M BORED AND IT IS BORING TO HAVE TO SIT IN MY ROOM ALL NIGHT! AND...I....AM....NOT....GOING....TO....DO....IT!" Then the comeback that is famous from the mouths of fourteen year olds, "GOD, IT IS SO UNFAIR!"
Dad looked sternly at me, and quietly said, "So, you are bored--Well I have an idea about how we will change that tonight. After I get home from work, I am going to come get you from your room, and I am going to march your butt down to the basement where I am then going to whip that butt of yours, and you won't do much SITTING when I get finished with you."
I was now more interested in backing out of this discussion than in changing the terms of my punishment--"No, I don't need a whipping. I will stay grounded like I am supposed to."
"Jonathan, You have no choice in the matter. You are still grounded for another three weeks AND you are going to get your butt whipped tonight. Now you pick up that book and you go out and wait for your carpool and when you get home from school--you march straight to your room."
At school, I ate my lunch silently while my friend Duke sat down next to me.
"Hey, Jon--You talk your parents into letting you go to the store this afternoon after school?" Duke took a bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
"Ummm, No. I'm still grounded. It is SO UNFAIR!" I slammed the table with the palm of my hand, and Duke noticed that I was about to start crying.
"Did you try to get them to change their minds...I mean you did a WHOLE WEEK in your room....plus, you know, what you got first.....(referring to the peach tree switching)...you know, that is a pretty tough punishment."
"Yeah...I tried and all I did was get in more trouble. I tried to convince 'em at breakfast, and they just got madder!"