You are stronger than they are

I am not a teenager but I was badly bullied right through school. Today something happened that brought it all back. 20 years ago I was one of those kids that always seemed to be the target of bullies. No matter how hard I tried to fit in I always seemed to be getting it wrong. I swear I could not go a day without something happening, not a single day without somebody making it clear how ugly, useless, stupid, unpopular and basically worthless I was. The worst part was how adults facilitated it. In fact they were that bad they may as well have joined in, from the teachers “oh no that child would never do that” to the parents “my precious little angel it the kindest creature on earth and would never bully another child”. Then there were the adults who saw what was happening but didnt want to get involved, on buses, in the street, in school so many just walked past and pretended not to see anything. Its hell am not going to lie to you and prattle on about sticks and stones because I remember having that garbage said to me. What I can tell you is that if you are anything like me you will be better people than these kids will ever turn out to be. I know because I have seen how the kids who bullied me have turned out. Because you know what it is like to be treat cruelly you won’t become cruel yourselves. You won’t be an adult who thrives on the misery of others because you know what its like to be made miserable by others. You wont be one of those adults who sees a kid being bullied and walks on by because you know how it feels.
I would love to give you some amazing advice that will make them stop but you cannot be responsible for or control other peoples behaviour. I look back now and honestly wonder how I made it through but I did and became a far better person than the kids that bullied me and so will you. Oh and the thing that got me thinking about it was a few bullies from my childhood tried to cyber bully me today. Yep sometimes they don’t grow out of it but they become more and more ridiculous with age.