Bullying. To me that's one of the ugliest words in the dictionary because I know how hurtful and soul breaking it can be. How do I know that? Simple, because I was one of many victims of bullying. So I know from personal experience just how words can hurt. So much so that they all but destroy the person they're directed at. I look back at my middle school years with sadness because of the pain I went through. It got so bad during those three years that there were times that I did consider taking drastic measures. It was only through the love and support of my handful of friends that I made it through that time.
Now that I'm an adult I continue to carry some of that pain around. I still live in the same town and my heart lurches every time I drive by the building and it's been over twenty years since that horrible chapter in my life. What's more, now I live in fear of my own children going through the same thing. My oldest, Cody, faces discrimination because he's gay. My youngest, Joie, has a marked learning disability which makes her a target for being picked on. I know I can't shield them from all hurt, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to put them in a protective bubble so that meanness can't touch them.
I realize that isn't an option because they have to be able to grow and experience life. So that leaves me with option two-education. So, I vow to keep writing and speaking of this topic. If I reach even one person and make them see the error in their ways, I'll call it a victory.
Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let me give you a little information on this video. An eighth grader wanted to show how much words could hurt, so she made a video to get her message across. It's very powerful and I'm not ashamed to admit it made me cry a bit.
