Stop Bullying- The Ostrich Story

*Steps on Soap Box*

Today is National Stop Bullying Day or Anti-Bullying Day (http://www.stompoutbullying.org/) and I have been reading some of the accounts that people experienced as children. I was bullied at times. The worst was during my junior high years. I was spit on, threatened, and pushed around by another kid. It stopped when I went to high school away from him. Otherwise, I have a knack for anonymity- like Buster Bluth. However, this story is not about being bullied or the bully.

This story took place when I was in elementary school (mid to late eighties). There was a kid in my class that was brown (I honestly can't remember his ethnic background, but this fact is important to the story). We would hang out at recess and play or talk about things that interested us. We talked about video games, Star Wars, superheroes, and other vital important topics to kids our age. I remember he was funny and we had a good time together. He didn't play sports and I was mediocre at best, so it was more fun to discuss the the latest GI Joe episode.

Let's draw some connections now. I went to a private, predominately white school, the kid I was friends with was brown, and I'm talking about bullying. Yes, two plus two does equal mistreatment. I remember one of the "popular" kids coming around and making fun of my friend. I can't remember what exactly was said, probably something about my friend smelling bad (which he didn't). He began taunting my friend, which created a crowd to fuel the bully fire. My friend was being picked on because he wasn't white. It is about picking on the "other". That was obvious to me even then. I did something worse than joining in the bullying like the other kids- I hide from it like an Ostrich with its head in the sand. I took the coward's way. I ran away. More accurately, I slowly crept away when the attention was not focused on me. I blended into the crowd and headed to the bathroom to escape the situation.

I knew what they were doing was wrong, but instead of joining forces with my friend, I slowly backed away from a hostile situation. I didn't want to get in the crossfire, nor did I want to engage. Not only did I not help with the taunting, but I did not even notify the teachers of the situation. Maybe I couldn't have stopped it. Maybe I would have been bullied more. Yet, maybe he wouldn't have been bullied as much because I was taking on some of that energy from the bullies. Maybe with my voice added to his, we could have convinced the teachers to stop the bullying instead of telling my friend that he was a tattletale. By doing nothing, I was perpetuating the bullying, which continued for years.

My friendship ended soon after the bullying began because I did nothing. I honestly regret not doing anything. I do not know the outcomes of the young men that was bullied or did the bullying. I moved away a few years later and experienced my own intense bullying. Sometimes we need to add volume to the voice of those that are mistreated. Even if we did not engage in the bullying outright, we are part of the problem not the solution. Stand up for yourself and help others stand up for themselves. We don't always have to lead the fight or act like the White Knight, but we can lend our voice to counter the negative outburst of the ignorant. Don't act like the Metaphorical Ostrich and believe it will all go away.We are all "other" to another.

*Steps off Soap Box*

Until I ramble on again. . .