Okay, how to start this… Hmm… Okay. Let’s start at the middle. The beginning doesn’t matter anyway.

I was bullied. In sixth grade. Okay, and I am aware that many other children and teens ALL across the world are bullied EVERY SECOND!! And you have no idea how much I would like to speak to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY!! But I can’t. Not at the moment.

The school I am going to right now doesn’t tolerate bulling. And I hate to admit it… But I appreciate my messed-up school for that. At least they did something right.

Anyway.

I guess my situation wasn’t that bad. It could have been worse! But I’m so thankful it wasn’t. I can admit that now. I had just moved to a new school (my second in three years) and I just made ONE new friend! I was so happy. I hardly had any friends at my old school. I played Clarinet and was seriously behind at my new school (we didn’t go to band every day at my old one.) and this one girl, ONE! Helped me out. I was so grateful someone showed me some pity.

But on goes life. My teachers loved me and I had a number of friends (at most three or four.) and then I met HIM. You know, the kid that harms you EVERY DAY! “Godzilla!” He would call me. I would just turn my head down and speed away. He wouldn’t come after me, but he knew the damage was done. Then, rumors started getting spread about me. I lost my first friend at that school, and soon left the rest.

It was an absolute nightmare. Then, I left.

I never made up with the girl. I was so happy when my seventh grade year was over.

Having that experience changed me. Not overnight, but it wasn’t extremely gradual. I stopped talking to everyone I could and I started to hide my feelings. After that school, I went all the way across the country (again) to one of my favourite schools. Ever. I made new, REAL friends. They cared for me and helped me become who I am and can be today. I still keep in contact with one of them, but I am forever grateful for all the others!

The bullying changed my life. It closed me off, but also helped me be weary. I’m extremely outgoing now, but I also now have compassion and empathy. I know what it’s like and I want to help anyone who needs it.

After the school with all my friends, I had to leave again. To the rest of seventh grade to half of eighth grade. I became an outcast again in that school. Very few friends.

Then, I came back for the rest of eighth grade until now! I am very happy back in my ‘home’ state where I have TECHNICALLY lived in for eight years, but wasn’t there 4 of those years. I go to the high school of the third school I’ve ever been to*. I now have lots of friends and acquaintances, and not only that, I don’t have to worry about bullying.

Whenever I hear somebody talking about me, I laugh in their face. Someone shoots me a dirty look, I smile at them. I am strong. I am not afraid of them. To all you who have been bullied: I can’t promise it will stop, I can’t promise it will not get worse, but please. PLEASE! Find someone who you can talk to. Someone you can trust your life with.

And above all,

Stay strong.




*This confusing school business:

1st school: Kindergarten- half of third grade
2nd school: the rest of third grade
3rd school: 4th grade-half of sixth; half of eighth onward (at now)
4th school: the rest of sixth (bully school)
5th school: half of seventh (friendly school)
6th school: half of seventh-half of eighth (loner school)