i hope i've taught my children well

this is viral on facebook right now, but i thought i'd share here too. memoirs of a bullied kid

i, by no means, was bullied like the poor boy, in the above mentioned blog.  i can't imagine the pain. but i remember my days of being bullied.  it was duane (and some girl that i was deathly afraid of but i can't remember her name).  i'll never forget.  duane messed with me and scared me.  i got him in trouble and paddled by the principal once, when i was in first or second grade.  in junior high, i missed the bus so many times because of him.  i would open my locker combination and he would instantly slam the door shut.  over and over again.  he was relentless.  and i shed plenty of tears growing up because of him.

i seriously hope that there's no one from my school days...or in my lifetime that would say i bullied them. i hope that the people i grew up with would say that i was always a good person.

and i hope that my children will NEVER EVER bully another child.  please let me have taught them well.  and in the same breath, please don't let them be the victim of bullying.  please!

needless to say, i'm extra sensitive to bullying because i would never want kiele to be bullied for being different. i've taught her from a very young age that she really is no different than anyone else (her cochlear implant is to her ear as her glasses are to her eyes) and that if she is ever teased or bullied, it's probably because the dumb-ass the person doesn't understand and that she should just explain her cochlear implant to them.  so far, so good.  i haven't heard about any bullying and yes, i inquire often.  ugh...i have a lump in my throat even typing this.

i wasn't really the popular one in the school.  i was kind of the smart girl that just happened to also be a pom-pon girl, allowing me to fit in pretty well...i guess.  but being the smart girl didn't come without a price.  in 9th grade, i was on homecoming court.  but at that time, all i really cared about was watching TV and doing my homework.  i had NO interest in boys.  but they had an interest in me.  and as a result, rumor had it that i was gay because i didn't like any of these cute boys that liked me.

looking back, it sucked.  the bullying.  the rumors.  in the same breath, i know it could have been so much worse and i hope that i grew stronger, better and more aware and sensitive because of it.

all my photographs, etc. from the past is in our storage facility so i attached an image from my pom-pon days that i took from my facebook.  i secretly wish i knew what happened to duane. hopefully karma came around. hopefully he learned and changed and ended up being a kind, wonderful, giving man with a great life.

i seriously hope with all my heart that i've taught my children well.  let them be kind and respectful.  let them make the right choices and do the right thing.

p.s. i absolutely, 100% have nothing against gays (at all!), but in 9th grade, the rumor was tough.