What's Your Story

Robert Frost once said, ~Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; Define yourself.~ Without a doubt, bullying is considered to be a hot button topic as of late that personally affects everyone and it most definitely doesn't discriminate either. For it's a tough and not to mention heartbreaking situation indeed to see, hear, and/or read stories concerning the actions of a bully, especially when it pertains to children. In any case, a bully can certainly have cruel intentions both in a verbal and physical way but now in the age where social media is part of the social interaction dynamic he/she has the ability to anonymously hide behind a computer screen/keyboard. However, every person has the power to stop bullying by simply taking a stand and it takes just one person to step up, whereby leading others to follow.

Let me ask you this question, have you or someone you know in a situation past or present have ever been bullied? According to www.kidsandmedia.co.uk, the tell tale signs of someone who is being bullied are the look of distress or anxiousness, unexplained cuts/bruises, changes in mood/behavior, lack of self confidence/self esteem, etc. It's certainly a sad state of affairs when one finds himself/herself an unexpected target of a bully. True, the method usually chosen to inflict harm is usually physical along with the verbal aspect of it added to it causing considerable amount of pain to the point where a person's/child's health and well being take a brutal beating, so to speak. Yes, the physical wound will heal but when it comes to the emotional and mental wounds they tend to take more time depending on how severe it truly is.

As I said before, in the technological age where Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc, are the norm in today's society, we are in an era where bullying can be done without coming face to face or actually speaking to another individual. I think we've all seen/watched the video where the female Wisconsin news anchor Jennifer Livingston took a stand against a "gentlemen" who blasted her weight via an email he sent her How she responded was in a very articulate and classy way to where she earned the respect of not only myself but many others across the nation maybe even around the world as well. Granted, critics have deemed her way of standing up to her bully a method of bullying being that she used the power of the media in order to possibly humiliate him. So, the question remains, did Jennifer Livingston do the right thing by standing up for herself by using the power of the airwaves as a platform to express a heartfelt response all-the-while staying professional on the air?

Personally speaking, I've worked with kids for 12 years and continue to work in the childcare profession, which I thoroughly enjoy. Of course, I've gradually become insanely crazy in a good way mind you...but I digress.Hey, what I'm trying to get at is I've witnessed and heard plenty of kids bullying each other by way of fighting or verbal smackdowns. The way I've handled it in the past and continue to handle it is by telling "my kids" to walk away and ignore what he/she is saying knowing full well it's not true. Unfortunately, it doesn't work half the time causing enormous amounts of conflict because he/she can't let it go. Let me tell you something, I've broken up more physical and verbal fights involving a child bullying another where I work than I did at my last job. However, it's a challenge in trying to get through to them knowing I can make a difference and I'm not giving up by any means whatsoever.

October is anti-bullying month and each of us have the opportunity to be a shining example to not let ourselves or others become an unfortunate victim. You see, there are bullies out there of every sort who dislike you sometimes for no reason at all and they do it because it's simply entertaining for them or they're bored. If you think about it, you have to develop an incredibly impenetrable thick skin in this world or you won't be able to survive. Hey, we've all learned to ignore it knowing words can't hurt us unless we allow them to and I know I've been called plenty of things and experienced being bullied in the past. Fortunately, I was/still am surrounded by exceptional, positive friends who accept me for the short, uniquely weird and insanely crazy individual I am. In the end, every one of us has a personal account concerning bullying so I ask you and don't be afraid to share it...what's your story?