MY THOUGHTS ON BULLYING

I was bullied. Back in my day it was called teasing.

While I was in Disney there was a down the bayou incident

of a child committing suicide leaving words saying he

could not take the bullying.

This has to stop, really it does.

Now there are words that the child himself was actually

one who bullied. Of course, an investigation is being

done and the school that I graduated from is under investigation.

They cannot speak up for themselves, it is against the

HIPPA laws. Those that can speak are saying

this child went to officials and "nothing was done".

Having been in the school system, maybe not enough

was done but to say nothing was done, I don't accept.

I know something was done, they just can't speak.

I am sorry for the family and the child, really I am.

But I am also sorry for all involved.

I can't speak much about what happened there.

But this teasing stuff, this social media has gotten carried

away in every way. I have family members who

have been bullied and they are pretty popular kids.

If they can be bullied then there is too much of it.

What bothers me is how many teens out there are

struggling with depression, sadness.

I know their world is so different from ours was.

I also believe the social media things they live with

has complicated their world way too much.

For me, my bullying/teasing consisted of

being called baldy when I first went to school after

cancer and my hair was growing back.

Then it proceeded to "bird nest" when the hair

grew back kinky and curly.

I was teased because of my teeth that were stained from chemo.

On the bus, one certain boy would take his lollipops and

hit the back on my head with it so it would stick

in my mound of hair.

What did I do? I laughed, I laughed and made fun

of myself. I laughed that is until I got off the bus,

turned my back to it and ran home to cry

in the comfort of my parents arms.

What helped me? It was one small thing my daddy

told me many days:

"Lilly, it does not matter what the world thinks of you,

when you enter this house, you are loved"

That is it, that was enough to give me the courage to face the

next day, to laugh with them.

Eventually, because it didn't seem to bother me,

I was not the target.

I am embarrassed to say there were others after me and

sometimes I tried to stick up for them but mostly I 

was relieved that it was not me anymore.

I can't say how I would have reacted if I would have had

Facebook and instagram. I have a feeling that because

we were not rich and my parents were older we may 

not have had that and so I would have been protected.

I would not want to be a child of today and I guess

I want to say to all those kiddies, especially those I love,

my nieces and nephews, my teens who are important to me,

"Try and laugh at it, speak with your parents, if it gets to be

too much, be brave to ask your parents for help, counseling.

It helps to speak to someone who does not love you who

can give you advice and a plan to make your life a little easier.

For me, the love and words of my parents and family were enough.

I speak aloud now to teens about bullying.

If they can see me now, vocal and outgoing, admitting to 

being bullied, I hope that helps them.

It has to stop before more children are found dead.

I pray for peace for all involved, the parents and family of the

young man, but the school and those involved also.

Keep an open mind as this incident unfolds.

If you are one who bullies, STOP!

Stop now, you don't want to be labeled in that way.

If you are being bullied, try the laugh technique and

cling to your friends who love and care for you.

May peace be with all the children and families of the world today.