Shortly before Mulligan's was shut down, my dad asked me to tend bar on a quiet Sunday while he ran some errands. A woman walked in and sat down. She complained about a fight she had with her boyfriend. Five minutes later, he walked in and started shouting at her. I politely asked him to leave her alone. He ignored me and pulled his girlfriend by the hair. I got between them and peeled the mans hands off of the woman. I pushed him toward the front door. He was drunk. Every time I pushed him, he stumbled backwards. Once he reached the door, I heaved into him with all my might and he ended up laying on his back outside the bar. My heart was pounding. I pointed my finger at him and yelled, "Don't ever come here again!"
Once I got inside, J.T., the night bartender who was watching over me asked, "do you know who that man is?"
"No," I replied.
"He was in prison for murder," he said.
When my dad returned, the other patrons shared the story about what happened. I wondered if the murderer would return and finish me off. In a way, I really didn't care. I was getting tired of all the trials in my life. I had to make a decision. Do I find a way to bounce back or do I give up? That's when I discovered what resilience really means — it's all about the bouncing. That's how I transitioned from a scrawny bouncer at Mulligan's who stood up to a convicted murderer and became the person I am today, a resilient husband, parent, and writer who has been tested to my limits and keeps on bouncing.
Has your resilience ever been tested? Did you pass the test? Please share what you learned about resilience in the comments section below.
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