I posted this elsewhere on Quora in answer to What’s the Pettiest Thing You Have Done to Get Back at a Nuisance Neighbor. But it probably really belongs here so I am re-posting with apologies to anyone who has already read it.

I yanked up as many flowers as I could in about 30 seconds.

For a couple of years I lived in Toronto, Canada. I was four when we left and this happened the day we were moving. For the two years that we lived there, the much older kids next door liked to terrorize my younger brother and me. I no longer remember what they did to us, but when we reacted they would jump into the family car that was always sitting in the driveway and lock the door. Their mother never did anything about it, or even once came outside to see what was happening.

However, one thing the Mom of bullies did care about, big time, was her flower garden. It was in the front of their house, full of flowers, and she spent hours tending it.

To stay out of the way, my brother and I were outside playing. Neighbor bullies started doing whatever they always did to us, their Mom was oblivious to what is happening and our parents were busy with moving activities. We were on our own. We reacted as much as a three and four-year-old can and once again, they jumped into their car and locked the door.

So four-year-old Ginger walked past them to the sacred, well-tended flower garden. I then proceeded to yank up flowers by the handful using both of my angry little four-year-old hands. It’s amazing how many flowers can be pulled in just a little bit of time! Then I ran home and pressed myself against the wall by the open front door because I was pretty sure I knew what was coming.

I didn’t have to wait very long. Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, the bullies’ Mom comes dashing over to our house, storms in the front door, stops for a brief moment to glare down at me with a look that could kill, stalks on into the house and confronts my parents who, at this point, are surrounded by moving boxes. I don’t remember what she said, and at four, she probably used quite a few choice words I wouldn’t have understood anyway. But I do remember her gesturing wildly while my parents just stood there. Knowing my father, I am pretty sure he slid his tongue over to the side of his mouth and bit on it to keep from laughing. I don’t remember much after that except that I didn’t get in trouble with my understanding parents.

When I think back on the incident, I find it interesting that even as a four-year-old, I knew exactly what button to push.

And I still treasure the memory of how powerful I felt as I pulled up those flowers!