The Stopping Starts Now

Hey dolls- welcome to the (almost) weekend, at long last!! It has been a busy week and on top of it all, Scott has shared his lovely cold with me. Yay. Anyway, this weekend promises to be an exciting one for me- NDSU's Homecoming Game! So I will be driving four hours away to see this game, if that gives you any indication of just how much I love football and my team. Stay tuned for the results next week. While I'm away, be sure to submit your entries for my giveaway to pearlsofpink@msn.com. Got some great ideas so far and can't wait to see more! Also, if you just can't manage to get enough of me, you can catch yet another post from yours truly today over at my friend Taylor's lovely blog, The Presutti's. :)

Today, I want to talk about bullying. Growing up, I was ruthlessly bullied... I wasn't like the other kids and they hated me for it. I was the "freaky-smart tiny weird girl with the long hair" and because of that, I was tormented on the regular. I remember a day when a note with horrible things was written about me and passed around the entire class. While I was taking notes on science, snickering was going on behind me and I didn't know why. It wasn't until I found the crumpled up note on the floor after class that I figured it out... some girls thought it would be funny to make things up and use horrible words to tell a story about me, which lead to ignorant people who believed it starting it as a disgusting rumor to be spread around the locker bay.

It came to the point where I didn't know what to do at all, and things only got worse. After that first fiasco had gone down, I later started getting bullied more directly, to my face; mainly about my looks, but also about my choice in friends, my inability to play sports, and the clothes I wore. Even the people I thought liked me would hand me back-handed compliments. In one class I was bullied so bad that I would cry before I had to go, as well as after class. I didn't want to be seen. I thought if I ignored it, it would go away. It didn't.

I know I was unusual. I know I was very quiet. And I know I was what you would call a "nerd". But I was kind to everybody. Truly. Everybody. It wasn't people that were standing up to me... I did not deserve it and nobody does. I managed to get the courage to go and talk to our school counselors and they did target my tormentors and have talks with them. They told me that they would keep an armed guard with me, if that's what it took for people to leave me alone. But I couldn't use that kind of protection. There weren't going to be guards on my school bus, at other kids' houses, or at school dances with me. And so it continued. Eventually, I grew up and turned into a much more socially-acceptable lady and acquired a stronger ability to find loyal friends, but not everybody gets that chance.

Not everybody thinks they are worth the trouble to talk to somebody about it. Not everybody can just cry it out at home after school. And not everybody can just tell themselves it will get better (but I swear, it always does). Bullying is a real problem that has advanced through the ages. The stereotypical "milk money" bully, as I like to call them, from decades ago, is nothing compared to today's bullies. Today, the bully spreads rumors, calls names, and threatens others online. They drive young teens to suicide. This is unacceptable and where I want to take a stand.

My friends, Jillian and Jessie have started this campaign to end bullying and I fully support it, because I think every kid should be able to see a light at the end of the tunnel and not everyone does. I had a loving family who was aware of the problem and a strong faith to rely on in these hard times, but not everybody does and I cannot reiterate that enough. Teach your kids kindness, compassion, and acceptance. Do not tolerate unkind words about anyone. Tell your kids that bullies need to be reported and let them know that it will pass. If you want to take a stand against the bullying epidemic, feel free to visit Jessie's page and take the button.

Enjoy the weekend, friends!