John’s Quest

In a classical quest a mentor teaches a young boy how to be a man, to conquer his fears, to never run away from a challenge, and face life with his chin up. John’s quest starts off on the Texas coast. And all though Grandpa Moses, a former pastor at the Baptist church would not appear at first to be a suitable mentor, for young John that is exactly what he became. At the worst time possible, John’s mother had to move to Saint Louis; making matters worse, Grandpa Moses’ illness got worse so he had to move in with John and his mother. John had a difficult time fitting in with his new classmates at his new school in St. Louie. He was harassed daily by a bully named Adam. Every day when he came home from school he was practically in tears; however, when pressed by his mother he refused to discuss his problems. All the while Grandpa Moses was in the backroom in his rocking chair listening to the arguments between John and his mom.
Grandpa Moses was old and slow and it was hard for him to move around. What John didn’t know was that Grandpa Moses was a Golden Glove Boxer who had won several gold medals. The following day at school, Adam’s ribbing went to the next level and John came home with a bloody nose. At this point Grandpa Moses rose from his rocking chair, fed up with what he had seen and heard and approached young John with a proposition. While he may not still have the speed, he could teach John the proper technique in slow motion and equip him with the tools necessary to put an end to Adam’s bullying.
Although the generation gap was great, Grandpa Moses and John soon became inseparable. John’s thirst for knowledge was only surpassed by Grandpa Moses’ technique and skill. After one particular day of hard training, Grandpa Moses went back to his rocking chair and quickly fell asleep. John, being the curious teenager he was, opened up what seemed to be some sort of antique crate. To John’s surprise, he found an abundance of medals and articles outlining what Grandpa Moses had done during World War II. Amongst the medals, he found a silver star, a purple heart with cluster and the Congressional Medal of Honor. In the articles he read, he found out that Grandpa Moses was also the boxing champion in his particular weight class for the Marine Core.
The day finally came when Grandpa Moses told John he had taught him everything he could to prepare him for his eventual confrontation with Adam; however, he stressed that what he has learned should be a last resort. Give Adam a chance and try to talk to him first. If Adam is dead set on fighting again, then use what I have taught you and I promise he will never bully you again. Also make sure Adam’s entire gang sees the two of you that way you will never have to worry about anyone bullying you again, much less Adam.
That day at school, John felt a pit in his stomach which he realized was not only a combination of fear and anxiety, but also a sense of relief knowing that his problems, no matter the outcome, would soon come to an end. As soon as the last bell rang, Adam approached John and said “we’re not going to do this at school, meet me at the park at 4:00” As John slowly walked to the park he was able to see that Adam, his entire gang, and a few stragglers were already waiting. John remembered Grandpa Moses’ advice and tried to give Adam a chance to back out. Adam, the cocky kid he was, called John a chicken and the fight was on. In a matter of seconds, Adam was flat on his back blood oozing out of both nostrils. John looked around and realized that not only had he defeated Adam; he had conquered his fear of standing up to the bully, he did not run away from his problems, and he faced this chapter of his life with his chin up.