Go ahead, insult a kid.

When I was seven or so, I was living in the Philippines. We lived off base, but I felt equally at home on base as well as off. To me, the base was a little bit of America which was wonderful since I was on the other side of the world. Some American products that we wanted or needed were not available in the local markets so we had to buy them at the BX (base exchange). It was a tiny shop, about half the size of a CVS or Walgreens and it certainly had the same feel.

I remember one day I was with my Dad there. We were in the check out line. It was somewhat busy and were were standing there for a bit. The guy in front of us turned around and looked at me. It was like he was inspecting me. I did not like that.

He looked me right in the eye and said, "Are you brat?"

Excuse me? I knew what I was and it wasn't that. "No."

He turns fully around so that he and I are now standing opposite each other. "Yeah. I think you're a brat."

Who the hell did this guy think he was to be insulting me? I look at my dad expecting him to say something. What kind of father lets their kid be insulted like that? He doesn't say anything so I look right back at that man and I say. "I'm not a brat. You are!

The man laughs and my Dad slapped me upside the head saying, "You be polite."

I was boiling. This guy insults me. My Dad doesn't defend me. I take it on to defend myself and my Dad gets angry. All along, this a-hole is getting off the hook. So I shut up before I get into any more shit.

Later I find out that the guy was joking with me since I was a brat-- a military brat. I think that the real brats were my dad and that man.