I had an encounter the other day with one of those mini inflatable punching bags. Now, I've never been a violent person in my life. I've never physically thrown an actual, real, meaningful punch. I wasn't a fighter in that sense. I don't know how because I wasn't raised that way. I guess you could compare me to Tris from Divergent when she was still in fight training - weak but determined.

I see now why people take boxing lessons or karate classes; it's a stress reliever.

I will admit that I’ve always had a mean punch but I’ve never had anything to practice on. Sure, when I was little my dad would hold up a pillow and I would give it my best, leaving a little fist-shaped indent. But that was nothing. And it wasn’t until I threw that first punch that sent that bag violently swinging that I realized that I had so much pent up feelings that I needed to get out. My best friend was with me and he just watched me for about 15 minutes destroy that bag, screaming and yelling… Winding up and cracking down. I would scream about the boys that hurt me, picturing their faces. I would yell out loud what they actually said to me or did to me as I punched that bag with everything I had. I yelled about the harassment I faced in high school and the bullying I went through in middle school. After the 15 minutes had passed, I was breathless, my knuckles painful and swelling, my voice hoarse. I knew that I would never grow up to be a physical fighter. But I needed one more punch.

I took a moment to think of every single situation I had been in; every word that was spoken, every inappropriate action, and every facial expression to go with it. Pictures and words swirled through my mind and then finally, I opened my eyes, looked up with a blank expression, and punched that bag with every fiber of strength that I had.

I smiled and turned around to see my best friend just staring at me, mouth open. He gaped not only at the power he didn’t know was inside of me, but also at the things that had been said and done to me. I smiled at him, trying to catch my breath, skipping away, realizing that I had found a new strength in me that I had never known of before.

I need to get me one of those bags.