So I was going to write tonight about the exorbitant amount of money I have to spend on makeup which would have been light and funny will have to be postponed for some other time because I just read a post from Single Dad Laughing that has left me feeling the need to share my own story. This is not something I typically talk about or share along with alot of my past but I feel inclined to share it tonight so please bare with me.
A couple weeks into 6th grade I decided to cut my hair off because one of my cousins had chopped her hair super short and it looked amazing on her so I figured I could pull it off too. Before my hair cut I was super popular and had a lot of long time friends. The day I came to school with my new hair cut an eighth grader walked up to me and started calling me a Lesbian and harassing me. I couldn't figure out what she was talking about or why all my friends, who knew I was beyond boy crazy didn't stick up for me. Not only did they not say anything but they all began to laugh. That same day all of them chose to gang up and embrace the name calling over sticking there neck out for a friend, because they were also to afraid to lose there popularity or become another target. What made it worse is that all these girls who I thought were my best friends became the ring leaders for the bullying in our grade. Every day became worse then the last. Some days it was just name calling and intimidation but other days it was much worse including pushing, tripping, and threats of violent against me outside of school. Junior high became my own person hell. Unlike a lot of kids I did tell my parents about the problem and I can not count the number of times I cried in there room after school. Having them to lean on really helped me not feel so alone. No matter how crappy my day was at school I knew that my parents would be there for me at the end of the day. However, no matter how comforted they were able to make me feel it in no way lessened the verbal beating I got the next day or my dread at having to go back to school everyday. I begged them to homeschool me or put me in a private school but there was just no way to make that work with our family dynamic. I cant tell you how many nights I wanted to kill myself just so that I wouldn't have to go back to school and be abused all over again, all for word that were not even true. I was only able to make one friend in Junior high and I didn't meet her until 7th grade. We became instant friends because like me she was bullied for being over weight. I thought for sure that in High School people would grow up and that I would be able to have a fresh start but sure enough I was called a Lesbian all through High School as well.
Why do we do this to each other? Why do we hurt others to make ourselves feel better? It is so pointless because the truth is that it doesn't help us feel better at all. We need to start a zero tolerance program in all schools against bullying. Kids need to hear at home and in the schools that bullying will not be tolerated. Why are we sending our kids to detention for being tardy but we do nothing when kids are caught bullying. I think that if all schools had a zero tolerance program set in place and detention and meetings with the school counselor were required for a violation that things would change. However the best place for anything to be taught begins in the home, Talk to your kids about this problem, teach them that love is the answer not hate. LOVE!!! A little love can go a long way. So if you haven't lately tell you child how much you love them and start doing it everyday and sit down as a family and discuss bullying, so that we can rid our schools of this plague. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!!!
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