This is an email to Amy and Dave, in response to a discussion about discipline.

For a bit of levity in all this discussion:

 I really wasn't disciplined very often.  I got spanked when I was little, but after that I only remember 2 times that I got "the belt".  Once for smoking with Kim, I was 13.  Then when Kim and I ran off to Mexico with a couple of boys.  Yep, that was belt-worthy.

When you have 3 brothers and 4 sisters, there is a lot of hurtful, mean talk, teasing mostly from the boys.  Kip was awful about that.  Thaxton tried but he wasn't very good at it except if he was teasing Kim. Then he was real good at it.   Oh Boy, that could get very nasty!  Kim was very bad with the hurtful things she would say to me.  Just plain mean.  One time in particular she was mad at me and she called me "Cow".  Then all the kids called me "Cow". Very upsetting.  Mother sent her to our room we shared and said when she could apologize properly, she could come out.  Out she came, Boom! came right up to me and oh she laid it on thick.  "Oh Cath, I am so sorry, I will never call you that again, I apologize and I mean it."  Mother bought into it and thanked her for being so kind about it. As soon as Mother was out of the room, Kim comes sliding up to me and whispers in my ear, "I meant it, you are a big fat Cow".  I start crying and the rest of the kids start the chant...Big Fat Cow, Big Fat Cow!   To this day, the girls will call me cow just to be silly.  UG!

Love,

Matati