Bullying Experiences
Have you ever had any bullying experiences as a small child? An adolescent? Perhaps as an adult? I think, barring the fear of coming forward, we all have had encounters of the kind that would certainly be listed under the heading of bullying. Sometimes we don't talk about it because we feel, that somehow, we were responsible for the manner in which we were treated. In other words we deserved what we got. Sometimes bullying when you are a child can leave a mark on your soul that can never be erased. Being bullied as an adult can be just as crippling. I remember this elderly man saying to me , "I'll never forget the way I was treated by the kids in the playground. When I close my eyes I can still feel their hand prints on my shoulders and their cruel words ringing in my ears." There was another man who said, "Kids are cruel. They were cruel in my day and they haven't changed." Another person said, "Even though I'm successful today as an adult as soon as I go back to my old high school reunions I start to feel clumsy and nerdy in front of all my old classmates." All these people showed me was that when anger, hurt and humiliation are squeezed together and forced into one outlet the scars that are left behind never fully disappear. Some people try to destroy themselves when this happens others try to destroy their tormentors. There is a fine line between being considered a bully or a victim because the motivation for both is fear. When we run to get away from our aggressor we are considered weak and become the victim while the aggressor becomes the bully. The bully stays to fight. The bully is experiencing just as much fear as the victim but he handles it differently. The purpose for every action and reaction made by us is for our own personal well being because survival is the biological imperative of all living things.
The reason I put in this page is so that other persons might relay their experiences with bullying on my site. When I go around to schools and do readings I like to relate true life experiences given to me by people who have been bullied, how it affected them and whether they ever were able to solve their problem. It inspires the children who are victims to realize this fear will pass and there is an end to their dilemma. If you can conquer your fears, so can they conquer theirs. It is also a subtle threat to the bully but in a positive way. It is showing everyone that there are people out there who are willing to try to make a difference and help solve these bullying issues. I try to make the children believe that if they can conquer their fears and stand up to the bully they are on their way to becoming their own hero. With your help we can do this.
Any stories that you might choose to relate and are a true experience of your own I would appreciate. You could e-mail them to me and I could transfer them to this sight as an anonymous story. It will also be my pleasure to answer, to the best of my ability any questions you might have.
A Bully Rap
A Bully Rap
Look at that big bully
Walkin' down the street,
He scowls at everybody
He's about to meet.
Never cares, never shares
Always angry, givin' dares
Never has a nice word.
Never says g'day.
Bothers all the children
When they go out to play.
Never cares, never shares,
Always angry, givin' dares.
How can we help him?
What can we do?
We would like to see him
Be just like me and you.
Never cares, never shares,
Always angry, givin' dares
We would like to be his friend
And try to understand
Why he's always nasty
When we extend our hand.
Never cares, never shares,
Always angry, givin' dares.
Tell him that the 'new cool'
Is being tolerant and kind,
So we all can get along
And no one's left behind.
Never cares, never shares,
Always angry, givin' dares.
Regardless of the culture
Or beliefs we hold so dear,
All the world can get along
Living free from fear.
Never cares, never shares,
Always angry, givin' dares
Let's programme our hearts
To beat as only one
Giving love to all the world
With every rising sun.
Never cares, never shares,
Always angry, givin' dares.
By
Roberta Dupont
The Rap
Friends Are Angels
One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on
a Friday?
He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends
tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running
toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him
so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet
from him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around
looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. "
They really should get lives.
" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"
There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books
again.
I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!
" He just laughed ! and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors, we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke.
II knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a
problem.
He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak
Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"
&nb sp;
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.
" Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began
"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through
those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly
your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.
I am going to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first
day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his
Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse. God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.
You now have two choices, you can:
1) Pass this on to your friends,OR
2) Delete it and act like it didn't
touch your heart.
As you can see, I took choice number 1.
"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly."
There is no beginning or end.. Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
Create a free website at Webs.com