I am a twenty year-old athlete.  I am a runner that works out with a trainer.  For quite some time my parents and my trainer were trying to help me change my attitude.  My trainer told me that I had unlimited potential as a runner, and that I needed to stop smoking cigarettes and to quit missing practice sessions.  Since I was defiant, I continued to smoke and workout when I wanted to.

One day a couple weeks ago, I showed up for practice with cigarettes on my breath.  He grabbed me by the arm, dragged me into his house and ordered me to the basement.  A few moments later he came down the steps holding a wooden paddle that had holes drilled into it.  The look on his face told me that he was through talking to me about smoking.

The Pain Files

As I stood there in just my running shorts, he ordered me to take off my shoes.  He then told me to throw them into the fireplace.  When I asked him why, he responded in a voice that no young man would have disobeyed.

“Just do as I told you!  Throw them in the fireplace.”

After I tossed them in, he put his hand on the gas switch ready to ignite the flames.  I yelled, “No! Don’t do that! Those are $80 running shoes!”

“So what?” he replied.  “You won’t need them after smoking ends your running career,” he said ready to turn on the flame.

“OK! OK! you made your point.  Don’t burn my shoes.  I’ll quit smoking. I promise.” I said grabbing my shoes from the hearth.

He looked at me and said, “Only you can make that decision.  I can’t make you stop smoking.”  He then held up the paddle and added, “But I can give you 10 good reasons for you to stop smoking and to change your crappy attitude.” 

Still holding the paddle, he directed me over to a waist high gymnast training bench and ordered me to strip off my shorts.  After I stepped out of my shorts, he told me to bend over the leather-cushioned bench and to grab the rail on the opposite side.  The bench put me in a position, which elevated my bottom upwards.

After I grabbed on to the rail, he gave me the first of 10 swats across my bare bottom.  “There’s one good reason to stop smoking,” he said as I let out a yell from the stinging blow.  Number 2 hit even harder and I yelled even louder as he said, “That was reason number 2.”

Soon the last 5 swats were hitting my bare crimson red bottom where it had already been whacked.

“Did you feel reason number 5?” he asked as I answered in agony.

“Yes, yes, Stop! I’ll never smoke again! I promise! I promise! Please stop! No more!! No more!! Stop! Stop! No more please stop! Please stop! No! No!”

The next swat landed with the fury of hell. “Aghhhhh! Stop! No more!  No! No! No! Stop! Stop! No! No more!”

He didn’t stop until all 10 reasons had been seared into my bare bottom

It’s been about 2 weeks since my paddling and I haven’t touched a smoke yet.  I have had a complete change of attitude.  My trainer told my parents about my spanking and they thanked him and told me that having my bare butt blistered was better than losing a lung. 

That bare bottom paddling opened my eyes and taught me to appreciate those that were working to save me from a life of health problems.  I am now running faster and farther that I ever imagined I could, and that holee paddle is kept in plain sight at my trainer’s house!