Oh, boy. I have told some people but never written this down. Here comes:

Back in 1981, I was a B.A. student at our State university. My sister was going to get married on the exact date when one of my classes was going to take a test. Knowing that, I asked my professor if I could take the test at another time. Guess what - he refused. Long story short, I had to hightail it right after the reception started, find a way to get to the university - I did not have a car at the time and our public transportation is awful - and take the test. I should have said earlier that the man was a hard taskmaster, and not particularly liked by any of his students - at least, not that I know of.

Two years later, I was at our Boy Scout Reservation, for a once-yearly camp devised to induct both Scouts and adult leaders into the Order of the Arrow. Also known as the National Honor Society of the BSA, this has three levels: the most basic is Ordeal, followed by Brotherhood and Vigil Honor. I was already at the Brotherhood level, and was asked to be an assistant leader for the adult patrol.

Surprise - there’s my old professor. Coming in as a candidate. Not even an Ordeal yet. Theoretically, I could haze him any way I wanted. Worse for him, that night the patrol leader had business elsewhere - leaving me in charge. Let that one sink in for a moment.

What kind of revenge did I take? Enter psychological warfare. I let the professor’s imagination come back to haunt him, remember the hard times he had given me and the fact that he denied me permission to be with my sister on her special day. Later, he became quite amenable and, without prompting, told me all about faculty members I had not heard from in a long time.

So - I did nothing, except let his mind and memory torture him. I guess the man had to have a conscience, somewhere in his skull.

Edit: Coming back to date for my sister’s wedding - as well as for the test - I realized it was a year earlier, in 1980. However, the Order of the Arrow camp took place in 1983.