Anti-Bullying Month (October)

Apparently, October is anti-bullying month, and that is something very close to my heart. I was teased as a kid, as I'm sure most people have been at some point in their lives, and you find that as you get older, things that you thought you had once forgotten, still hang over your head to some degree. Some people have better ways of dealing with it than others. Some kids can laugh it off, while others turn to drugs and alcohol, because the pain is too much to bear. And then there are those in the middle, who are just trying to make it through the day, being themselves, without getting ridiculed for stupid little things.

We live in such a cruel world today that focuses on the things that we all do wrong, rather than focusing on what we've done right. Instead of building people up, we all tend to focus on the negative, whether it's about ourselves or the others around us. There is so much hatred, whether it's some stupid comment on the internet or something that is said or done in the hallway at school. It just simply needs to be stopped. Actions need to be taken to get rid of it. Schools and administrative leaders need to step up and do something about it, whether there is enough money in the "budget" or not. This is a matter of life or death. People don't do anything about the warning signs, until a major ordeal happens. Then, they try to act concerned, like "What? No one informed us ahead of time..."

My heart breaks for those kids that are dealing with hate crimes, being teased, or whatever else they might be experiencing in school these days. I've had those moments where I really didn't want to go to school, because I was worried I was going to get picked on for my weight or my hair or the clothes I decided to wear. Everyday, it seems like there is yet another story about bullying or another suicide, because a child or a teen or a young adult didn't think their life even mattered anymore. We have to let them know that it DOES. No matter what those certain groups of people are telling them. "That pain in your chest; it goes away, it gets better."

I saw an inspiring video from a news anchorwoman yesterday (that I'm sure will be viral pretty soon), that inspired me to write this. In her video, she talks about dealing with a hurtful comment that someone made to her through the internet about her weight, but from there, she stands up for herself, calling this person out on the air. It's a beautiful thing. She encourages others out there to not give those people the power or satisfaction of their opinions.

Here's the link:
http://www.upworthy.com/bully-calls-news-anchor-fat-news-anchor-destroys-him-on-live-tv?g=4&c=mrp1

We can all help in this "Say no to bullying movement," even in little ways. It can be helping someone out with a task, giving a smile to someone in the hallway or on the street, or standing up for someone that you know is being picked on, and call the bully out, as scary as that can be. We can all do our part. I'd love to get involved in an organization that helps out with causes like this, so we can put the bullies to shame and change this world, back to a little more of what it used to be, when people looked out for one another. I want to make a difference.

That's all for now,
Shelby