Today, at work, I happened upon a bully experience on a public website. Someone was posting personal emails from another employee and calling that employee a coward.
The mob mentality immediately ensued and I couldn't help but feel myself react.
This is not okay. This is never okay.
Many moons ago - in the Winter of 1991 I was pregnant. I was alone and I was scared. More so, and most people never knew this, my mother blew the rent money on drugs and she I and lived in her car. It was during this time - me, 15 and pregnant, her 40ish and strung out, that I was attending high school in Midland, Texas.
High School is hard. It's rough. There is no wiggle room for kindness and understanding - and it was during this time - when I lived in our car, bathing in service stations and attending class - that a "Christian" girl walked up to my teenage pregnant self and said, "your child is going to be a bastard and should be hung when it's born".... I stood there. Mouth agape. Heart pounding.
I didn't know if I should have reacted in any particular way. I didn't. I stood there and took it. I was lucky they didn't know I bathed in the sink at the local Friendze - much less calling this child a bastard.
Bullying takes many forms. It is rooted, typically, in fear. But as a strong adult today, there is something about this public mob mentality that makes my heart race, my back arch, and my Simone-ness ready to strike.
Life is hard folks. Even in this First World country where we are so blessed and gifted - we make life so hard on each other. Cruelty is never okay. Never. We have the opportunity to be kind and forgiving - it's not a hard road to take.
I task you - each of you - with kindness. Stand up to bullying. Even when you're an adult. Believe in yourself. Know that you have the opportunity to make the difference in another person's life in such a positive manner - why would you choose any other way?
Much love and blessings. From an old soul - and a new soul.
- Simone
The mob mentality immediately ensued and I couldn't help but feel myself react.
This is not okay. This is never okay.
Many moons ago - in the Winter of 1991 I was pregnant. I was alone and I was scared. More so, and most people never knew this, my mother blew the rent money on drugs and she I and lived in her car. It was during this time - me, 15 and pregnant, her 40ish and strung out, that I was attending high school in Midland, Texas.
High School is hard. It's rough. There is no wiggle room for kindness and understanding - and it was during this time - when I lived in our car, bathing in service stations and attending class - that a "Christian" girl walked up to my teenage pregnant self and said, "your child is going to be a bastard and should be hung when it's born".... I stood there. Mouth agape. Heart pounding.
I didn't know if I should have reacted in any particular way. I didn't. I stood there and took it. I was lucky they didn't know I bathed in the sink at the local Friendze - much less calling this child a bastard.
Bullying takes many forms. It is rooted, typically, in fear. But as a strong adult today, there is something about this public mob mentality that makes my heart race, my back arch, and my Simone-ness ready to strike.
Life is hard folks. Even in this First World country where we are so blessed and gifted - we make life so hard on each other. Cruelty is never okay. Never. We have the opportunity to be kind and forgiving - it's not a hard road to take.
I task you - each of you - with kindness. Stand up to bullying. Even when you're an adult. Believe in yourself. Know that you have the opportunity to make the difference in another person's life in such a positive manner - why would you choose any other way?
Much love and blessings. From an old soul - and a new soul.
- Simone
1 comment:
Simone - your insides are sparkly. It makes me smile. More people need to be sparkly like you! I can only hope to be!
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