This is the story of a little girl. At face value, she's this bright, beautiful, happy little girl. She has a best friend who she absolutely loves, and she has a family that loves her more than anything. This seems like an amazing story, doesn't it? It isn't.
See, there's something about this little girl that I didn't tell you: she's about to be a victim of bullying.
Kids can be cruel. Every adult tells you this, but no one actually believes it until they see it for themselves, which is usually after they, themselves, have become the victim of a bully. This little girl didn't ask to be made fun of because she walked like she was wearing heels all the time. She didn't ask to be made fun of because she loved to sit in the corner of the classroom and read books instead of playing with the other kids during breaks in the school day. She didn't ask to be bullied.
This little girl grew into a teenager who loved to read and write and sing. She loved going to concerts and wanted to be a rockstar. She was shoved against lockers, jumped in the bathroom and had lip gloss smeared across her forehead. She was teased and bullied because of how she chose to look and dress because she was different. When she got to high school, the only way out she saw was to be friends with the kids that other kids were afraid of, but that didn't stop the rumors and sneered comments behind her back. Even though the bullying wasn't blatantly out there, it still existed.
One thing I didn't tell you about this girl: that little girl was me.
Bullying happens to so many kids throughout America —throughout the world. The problem is that none of the victims' peers try to do anything to stop it. Speaking up about bullying and putting an end to it is the first step to creating a better, safer environment for everyone.
I was bullied for choosing to be myself instead of following everyone else. Other people have been bullied for far worse, some even getting to the point of feeling so low that they decide to take their own lives as a way out. That isn't the way. Ghandi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." The world isn't going to change on its own. It starts with us.
