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it was an accident, and I didn’t realize I was being a bully until he told me. It h appened several years ago when I went with some friends to visit the Civil War battlefield at Kennesaw Mountain State Park near Atlanta, Georgia. We arrived at the park and started walking across a large grass-covered field. Nearby was a bronze historical marker, so we headed toward it to read about the events which took place on the battleground spreading out before us. As we approached, we saw what looked like a coil of black cable, glistening in a spot of sunshine on the ground in front of the sign. When we got closer, the cable uncoiled itself and slithered off about 20 feet away. It was a beautiful black snake, very thick and nearly eight feet long. I recognized it as being either a black racer or a black rat snake, both of which are nonpoisonous and like open grassy areas. It was such a pretty snake I just wanted to get a better look. I followed it over to where it stopped, but when I got within 10 feet, it slithered off again another 20 feet. I paused and figured if I kept following, it would simply keep slithering away. So I thought, I’m smarter than a snake, I’ll just circle around and approach from the opposite direction. Crouching low as I walked, so it wouldn’t see me, I got within three feet of it. I completely startled it. It reared up about two feet in the air, flattened its neck out making it look like a cobra, then it opened its mouth and hissed very loudly. This in turn startled me. I leapt backwards farther than I’ve ever jumped before, and nearly fell on my backside. Now, I don’t know if you speak snake or not, but I can understand “BACK OFF” in any language. So I decided it was time to leave the snake alone and rejoin my friends. As I said, I knew the snake wasn’t poisonous, and if it bit me, it wouldn’t hurt more than giving me a small cut, but even so, when it hissed at me, it sure did make me think twice. That’s all you have to do with a bully, make him have doubts. Make him think you will be more trouble than it’s worth. This technique isn’t just for kids; it also works for adults. I have a friend who has successfully used this technique while riding the subways in New York City. If you know of someone who is bullied, please share this article with them. Robert Robert is an author, humorist, and innovation consultant. He works with compa- nies that want to be more competitive and with people who want to think like innovators. For more information on Robert, visit www.jumpstartyourmeeting.com or contact him via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com Wilson cont’d from page 22. 30 NOVEMBER 2017 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®