It Doesn't Go Away

I wish I could sit back and tell you all that as you get older the mean kids go away. If I did, it would be a lie. In your life there are always people that want to show what they have, what others don't, and what other people will never get. I'm not one of those people but I have frequently come across those who are.

As a kid, I was harassed relentlessly by a group of girls. I was poor, lived in the wrong side of town, wore the wrong clothes, had the wrong sneakers, my mom drove the wrong car, I had the wrong hair color, I had the wrong skin color, and I had the wrong background. To them I was just--wrong. I kept hearing, "It will get better." That has become a motto these days. One that I think is pretty powerful, but slightly skewed. It does get better because as an adult, I don't have to take it. I'm not forced to stay around people I don't care for. I don't have to sit back and let things happen anymore. However, you could lose your job, make things uncomfortable for your kids, or start a Facebook war (something that is actually quite pathetic. Cryptic posts aren't so cryptic, they are actually embarrassing... for the poster). None of those options are pleasing to say the least.

Adult bullying happens everyday. People think they know everything, when in fact they don't. No one cares what you think about someones outfit... if they are comfortable in it... good for them. No one cares what tattoo a person has, if they liked it... that's all that matters.  Making fun of other people, behind their backs is cowardly. I choose not to be a part of that. I don't talk about people, I don't make fun of people, I don't pass judgement on other people.

The problem with adult bullies... is that they produce childhood ones, and the vicious cycle continues. It's time to stop the problem where it all starts... the parents.