When I got to college, I thought the bullies would stop. However, I've come to realize that they still exist in small doses. While many people have learned to mature and grow into respectable human beings come college, not everyone has. There are still those people out there; the ones who are selfish and who show little to no regards for anyone else's feelings. They are the people who will call you fat or tell you you're not skinny enough, who will judge your appearance, they are the people who constantly put you down or tell you you aren't good enough, and they are the people who you thought all along were actually your friends but you discover it was all just an act. These are our bullies.

They come in all different shapes and sizes, but to me they are just faceless. They do not deserve to be acknowledged. I've come to the realization that the only person who should have the ability to judge me, should be me. I will not shed tears over anyone's hurtful words anymore, and instead of feeling sorry for myself, I will feel sorry for them. I will feel sorry that they can never have true relationships based on kindness and I will feel sorry that they feel the need to stoop so low to satisfy their own self-serving agenda by hurting someone else's feelings.

I will feel sorry that they will forever hold the title of "bully." Because I will hold the title of so much more. And this is the same for everyone else. To anyone who has experienced bullies, no matter your age, don't let their opinions get in the way of your own opinion of yourself. You are capable of so much, and your bullies don't deserve by any means to take that away from you. In reality, it is them who are struggling and them who are insecure. I know this is the same thing we've been told since we were younger but it's true. If not for that why would someone have the desire to be so mean and cruel? It clearly gives them some type of satisfaction, satisfaction that they can not find in themselves.

And it is sad to me that these bullies will never go away, but I am glad I've now discovered this and can prepare myself for it. You see, as a kid I thought after high school everything would be sunshine and rainbows. I thought the rumors wouldn't exist anymore, the hurtful words, the degrading of others, but unfortunately I now see that it still does for some people, that it always will. It is their ego booster, and the only way they can ever stop being a bully is to change something within themselves. And for those who do, who outgrow this, we should still accept them, and we should forgive them, and understand that they've evolved into a better human being. For those who don't however, for the bullies who stay bullies, I promise you, you will live a lonely, miserable life. There's only so long you can stay a bully and keep friends, keep your significant other, or keep your family.

So why would you risk that? Why would you keep going on this path you're going. If you need more confidence in yourself, the best way to get it is by being nice to other people. By not being judgmental and accepting others you set yourself up for a life that is filled with much more love and more success. You set yourself up for a life that is much more worthwhile, the life you should want.

I don't want to have to think of other human beings as faceless, but I will until they change. Because I do not deserve to be treated like dirt, nor does anyone else. So for the bullies, they can have fun with their twisted games and their tormenting, but we will have fun not giving them the satisfaction they desire. And maybe one day they'll change. But for now, they get the title of "bully," and we get the title of so much more.