Day 78: Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.  ISBN: 9780385323062.

Kids don't have the benefit of carrying around pocketknives wherever they go anymore.  In fact, people don't really understand that there is a benefit.  We think of knives only in their weapon capacity these days.  I don't think people realize how absolutely useful it is to have a knife.  I'm a big fan of the pocket knife.

I actually carried a knife for several years between high school and my first year of grad school.  I bought it for about $5 from a knife vendor at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi.  There were quite a few times where I was afraid I would have to part with it.  One time I was headed to New York from the Washington, D.C. area on the good ol' Greyhound.  I noticed they were actually doing a wand check of people boarding another bus, which is quite unusual for Greyhound.  Luckily they didn't do a check of my bus and I got to keep my knife.

I used the knife for almost everything: opening tricky packages, tightening screws, and not necessarily protection, but at the very least it offered an added feeling of security.  Carrying a knife is extremely empowering, especially for women.  It gives you access to an extra edge if you're attacked that you wouldn't have otherwise in case you are attacked.  I felt that even that extra boost of confidence prevents attacks.  Someone looking for a victim isn't as likely to pick on someone who walks like they aren't going to take anyone's bullshit.  At the very least, it's always good to have a multipurpose tool on hand.

The only reason I stopped carrying a knife is because it was stolen.  My mother was in town delivering some furniture.  She used my knife to cut some straps or packing tape and left it outside on the truck.  By the time I realized she "still had it," it had been stolen and was gone forever.  This was a piece of equipment that was with me longer than most of my friends.  This is was a piece of equipment that was with me longer than most of my friends.  It was an important part of who I was.  I still feel its loss, but I've also grown past needing it.  Still, I could use another pocket knife.