There were times over the years I played the waiting game and got back at certain bullies. Each time I got in a heap of trouble, but always recovered my pound of flesh.
Each time I was forced to fight a bully, I came away from it horrified by what I'd done. Violence never felt good to me.
What I find aggravating is when people turn to the "grow up, what's past is past" after they faced no consequences for their actions. Now you're the bad guy for not letting it go.