by Mischief T. Maker on Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:23 am
When I was a teenager, I and some friends were in this turnip patch having a war amongst ourselves. We were throwing them at each other and at passing cars whenever they came along. It was in a tiny town on a back road where there wasn't a whole lot of traffic. One car came along and we pummeled it with turnips. Turns out it was an off duty policeman! He gave chase. I could have gotten away easily, but he went after a smaller kid whom I was really good friends with his big brother and their dad was a preacher. I didn't want to see him get in any trouble so I yelled at the cop and asked him to let him go and I would surrender. The officer let the small fry go and I got a ride to the pokey where I was charged with vandalism and malicious mischief (for throwing the turnips at the car(s)).
The judge that I appeared before told me "I have little patience for Mischievous Trouble Makers. He could have been harder on me, but he was impressed that I gave myself up for the others and just made me work the whole summer for the farmer whose crop we practically destroyed making restitution.
So, that was the inspiration for my handle..it came from a juvenile judge.
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
from "Kubla Khan or A Vision in a Dream" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge