In today’s society, it’s even harder to express yourself and be true to who you are. Other people have trouble looking past themselves to actually see what other people are going through. The only perspective they really cherish is their own. Sometimes, bullies pretend to care about others, bringing them into a false sense of security and sadly use to harm their supposed "friend". Some people are the real deal though! They actually do care about other people’s lives and thoughts - they’re rare and beautiful people.
One of my most clearest memories of bullying comes from elementary school. There was this boy I know, Charlie. At the time, obviously I was a little kid; I didn’t what I was doing. But I was with my friends at recess and they were calling this boy Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie didn’t like this name very much, and it was obvious. But, my friends convinced me to go up to him and call it to him in his face. So, I skipped on over and did it. I pretty much laughed in his face as I skipped away. Later that day, after recess, I noticed Charlie in the back of the room, looking upset, talking to the teacher. When I saw this, I sincerely felt remorse about this whole situation. I cried during school at my desk because I felt so bad, but I never apologized. I was actually not the one being bullied, but rather, the bully. I'm sure Charlie soon forgot this little situation. He has a large group of friends now. We’ve had numerous classes together and there is no tension between us. But this event still affects me, as a bully. Yes, I was only seven years old, but it left a mark on my life that I regret. It made me learn from a mistake I really wish I had not made, it honestly made me a better person. Since that day, I have tried my hardest to avoid any situation that involves putting another down. The people that are actually getting bullied, physically or verbally, they don’t need it. Usually, the bullying reflects the bully, not the one being bullied. The bully is insecure and feels like they need to have control over something, even if it’s just some innocent kid in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe, the bully is pressured, like I felt I was. Anyways, no matter what the reason was for the bully to do what they did, it’s really no excuse. Each person deserves to be treated like the unique individual they are.
I’m normally described as a shy person, someone who’s really smart and just sitting in the background unnoticed. In fact, on the bus home on sixth grade, I would usually sit by myself with my backpack on my seat next to me and just stare out the window and think. I guess this made me a target. This boy who was a year older than me would grab my backpack and take it. He did this constantly, almost everyday until the end of the school year. I was so relieved the next year when we weren’t on the same bus. I don’t know why he did what he did, but it affected me. It made me feel insignificant, like just a loser to be picked on. That’s the sad thing about being bullied. I realize now that there wasn’t anything wrong with me, even though at the time I thought there might be. Its just that bullies need to release their insecurities by making someone else nearby feel insecure. In the end, I made a choice to overlook this incident and keep moving forward, rather than letting a bully define me.
Lastly, in eighth grade, I started wearing makeup, just to test it out like many others in my grade were doing. I wore eye shadow mostly and no one said much about it. I decided to try wearing eyeliner. I wore it into school one day, and this boy made fun of me the entire class. He made jokes about how dark the line was or how it was all over my face. It lowered my self esteem a lot, but I just pretended not to care and ignored him. It upset me, and I dreaded going to that class wearing make up. One day, I decided not to ignore him. Rather than just turn away so he couldn’t see how upset I was by his comments, I threw him glances to tell him to stop, and he actually saw how I didn’t like these comments. After that, I didn’t hear anything from him. I’ve realized that even when people are joking around about how people look, it can really stick to you on the inside. It’s really not cool to make people feel smaller than they ever should feel. Every single person on this earth is amazing in their own way and can contribute so much if only we could work together.
I do realize my stories aren’t extraordinary or traumatizing experiences. I’ve read a lot of stories much worse than mine, involving physical abuse and much harsher words than I’ve heard directed at me. On another note, cyber bullying is becoming a big deal in our society. I've seen "fights" on social networks, and all it is, is a bunch of drama. Be the bigger person and talk it out in person rather than hide behind a screen and make fun of others. I've also learned there’s two sides to every story. I know my bullying career was short and at a young age, but maybe both sides should try and see from each other’s eyes. Maybe then there wouldn’t be so much hate in this world. Each person has something to give, and we shouldn’t be suppressing others from doing what they love. People can grow up to be something grand, and who are we to stop the world from becoming something much better tomorrow than it is today? Bullying could be stopped so easily if people just stood up for one another or avoided it altogether. There's really no need for you to take out your own personal problems on someone totally irrelevant. If you are the one being bullied, you shouldn't have to sit back and take it. Take a voice against bullying. If someone is being bullied, it's not right to stand by and watch. That's the time to help. The bully can be just as effected as the victim. Maybe the bully just needs a kind ear, maybe they haven't experienced the kindness most of us take for granted. Who knows. I believe all stories are important and should be heard. Bottom Line: Nobody is less of a person than the one standing next to them, or should be treated as such. No matter what. You are something way more.
One of my most clearest memories of bullying comes from elementary school. There was this boy I know, Charlie. At the time, obviously I was a little kid; I didn’t what I was doing. But I was with my friends at recess and they were calling this boy Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Charlie didn’t like this name very much, and it was obvious. But, my friends convinced me to go up to him and call it to him in his face. So, I skipped on over and did it. I pretty much laughed in his face as I skipped away. Later that day, after recess, I noticed Charlie in the back of the room, looking upset, talking to the teacher. When I saw this, I sincerely felt remorse about this whole situation. I cried during school at my desk because I felt so bad, but I never apologized. I was actually not the one being bullied, but rather, the bully. I'm sure Charlie soon forgot this little situation. He has a large group of friends now. We’ve had numerous classes together and there is no tension between us. But this event still affects me, as a bully. Yes, I was only seven years old, but it left a mark on my life that I regret. It made me learn from a mistake I really wish I had not made, it honestly made me a better person. Since that day, I have tried my hardest to avoid any situation that involves putting another down. The people that are actually getting bullied, physically or verbally, they don’t need it. Usually, the bullying reflects the bully, not the one being bullied. The bully is insecure and feels like they need to have control over something, even if it’s just some innocent kid in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe, the bully is pressured, like I felt I was. Anyways, no matter what the reason was for the bully to do what they did, it’s really no excuse. Each person deserves to be treated like the unique individual they are.
I’m normally described as a shy person, someone who’s really smart and just sitting in the background unnoticed. In fact, on the bus home on sixth grade, I would usually sit by myself with my backpack on my seat next to me and just stare out the window and think. I guess this made me a target. This boy who was a year older than me would grab my backpack and take it. He did this constantly, almost everyday until the end of the school year. I was so relieved the next year when we weren’t on the same bus. I don’t know why he did what he did, but it affected me. It made me feel insignificant, like just a loser to be picked on. That’s the sad thing about being bullied. I realize now that there wasn’t anything wrong with me, even though at the time I thought there might be. Its just that bullies need to release their insecurities by making someone else nearby feel insecure. In the end, I made a choice to overlook this incident and keep moving forward, rather than letting a bully define me.
Lastly, in eighth grade, I started wearing makeup, just to test it out like many others in my grade were doing. I wore eye shadow mostly and no one said much about it. I decided to try wearing eyeliner. I wore it into school one day, and this boy made fun of me the entire class. He made jokes about how dark the line was or how it was all over my face. It lowered my self esteem a lot, but I just pretended not to care and ignored him. It upset me, and I dreaded going to that class wearing make up. One day, I decided not to ignore him. Rather than just turn away so he couldn’t see how upset I was by his comments, I threw him glances to tell him to stop, and he actually saw how I didn’t like these comments. After that, I didn’t hear anything from him. I’ve realized that even when people are joking around about how people look, it can really stick to you on the inside. It’s really not cool to make people feel smaller than they ever should feel. Every single person on this earth is amazing in their own way and can contribute so much if only we could work together.
I do realize my stories aren’t extraordinary or traumatizing experiences. I’ve read a lot of stories much worse than mine, involving physical abuse and much harsher words than I’ve heard directed at me. On another note, cyber bullying is becoming a big deal in our society. I've seen "fights" on social networks, and all it is, is a bunch of drama. Be the bigger person and talk it out in person rather than hide behind a screen and make fun of others. I've also learned there’s two sides to every story. I know my bullying career was short and at a young age, but maybe both sides should try and see from each other’s eyes. Maybe then there wouldn’t be so much hate in this world. Each person has something to give, and we shouldn’t be suppressing others from doing what they love. People can grow up to be something grand, and who are we to stop the world from becoming something much better tomorrow than it is today? Bullying could be stopped so easily if people just stood up for one another or avoided it altogether. There's really no need for you to take out your own personal problems on someone totally irrelevant. If you are the one being bullied, you shouldn't have to sit back and take it. Take a voice against bullying. If someone is being bullied, it's not right to stand by and watch. That's the time to help. The bully can be just as effected as the victim. Maybe the bully just needs a kind ear, maybe they haven't experienced the kindness most of us take for granted. Who knows. I believe all stories are important and should be heard. Bottom Line: Nobody is less of a person than the one standing next to them, or should be treated as such. No matter what. You are something way more.
-Anonymous
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