June 4, 2012

Teaser

Today's prompt: What did people tease you about growing up?

You know, with all of the news and (horrible, heart-breaking) stories in the news lately regarding bullying, and the work I did on Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead back in March, I have been thinking a lot about my childhood and formative years in school.

I think I've finally come to the conclusion that I really wasn't bullied or teased very much.  Or, if I was, I didn't know about it or it didn't affect me so much that I remember it.  I was blessed to go to a small school (my graduating class had 70 people in it) from first grade through graduation and, during that time, I really developed a wonderful core group of friends -- many of whom I'm still in touch with via the magic of Facebook. 

Sure, I remember a time in elementary school when the Cutest Boy in School told me to "move out of the way, Fatty," and I remember tiny catfights with girl groups, but there was nothing like what some of these kids in the news are going through.  We didn't have Facebook walls to post on and phones with which we could text people hateful things. 

I certainly wasn't one of the Pretty Popular Girls. I was always round and a bit chubby.  I wore braces and had frizzy hair.  I was in band and theatre.  But I also was on the tennis team (heh...I was terrible) and part of the Fellowship of Christian [Anybodies] (we didn't restrict our group to athletes) and was voted Most Talented my senior year.

Maybe I was just lucky.  Or maybe it was just a simpler time or I just had such a supportive family and group of friends that I never felt the lasting sting of their words.

As an adult, however, I've found myself much more sensitive to the words and accusations of others.  I talked about that in detail here. Perhaps it's because I feel that, as an adult, I should have figured it out by now.  Or maybe I'm making up for lost time.

I try to remember at all times, even when it's hard, that however others may think of me, or whatever they may find fault with in my character or appearance, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.


Photo by Lindsay

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