Woods Incident=why I build walls around me? - Empty Closets - A ...

For some reason, I've been thinking about an incident involving a childhood friend the last few days. And this has raised some questions--some relevant to my life today, and others are just curiosity.

Cliff's Notes of a long story: he was my longest lasting friend in elementary school. But it was not an idyllic friendship. One strong memory: he always seemed to dictate what we'd do. I have a strong sense that he was the one in 100% control. I think there may have been a slight fear of him at times. And that fear might not have been totally misplaced. A lot of details are lost in memory, but one incident does stand out.

One day, we were walking through some woods. He knew them very well. That day was the first I set foot in them.

At some point, well into the woods, we stopped. And basically he said the obvious: I had no way of getting out on my own. (Maybe not entirely true, but I sure believed it. I was a pretty imaginative kid, and being lost in the woods forever was something I could easily imagine.) Then, he told me that the only way I'd ever get out was if I proved I was a boy. There was not time to obtain a copy of my birth certificate, so I was forced to pull my penis out. I was so embarrassed I could only pull it part way. At least, he was satisfied, and showed me to civilization.

And the friendship died not long after. I'm not sure the woods incident was to blame, but I have to think it played a part in the friendship getting killed.

Now for the questions. On a curiosity level, I'm wondering if anyone ever had an experience like the one I had. I also wonder how far people think my "friend" stepped over the line. (I once told this story to a counselor, and he went through the roof.)

On a practical level, I wonder...does this "friend" and this experience help explain why I tend to build walls around myself? I'm told I'm very hard to get to know in real life. (This is a concern, because I'm trying to work to be more open. Letting some friendships develop over 5 years can work, but I don't see that being practical with romantic relationships.)

Source: http://emptyclosets.com/forum/family-friends-relationships/90248-woods-incident=why-i-build-walls-around-me.html

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