Dedicated to the Kon family
“You’re stupid!” “You have no life!” The only reason why anyone would want to be your friend is that you’re in a wheelchair, and they feel bad for you!” These are only some of the things that I grew up hearing in my life.
Did it bother me? Of course! Did it hurt my feelings? Absolutely! Did I become a stronger person because of these negative comments? Darn right I did!
From my adolescent years to my teens, and even now as an adult, I have been labelled a target for bullies because I was different. For years, I wondered why I was treated like this. Was it because I was different? Or was is it because of my disability? Who knows?
The thing that I was taught was that the bullies at school were only going to be in my life for a short period of time, and that I don’t have to be around them for the rest of my life. And as an adult, you do not have to work with these people you just need to learn how to deal with their immaturity. You are the bigger person, after all.
Well, let me tell you this. To those of you who are dealing with bullies, whether it is physical abuse, verbal, or even mental, whatever the case may be. You will get through this, I promise you. Trust me when I tell you this, there is always light at the end of the tunnel and things are going to get better. The negative feelings you are having; It is only temporary.
Whatever is going on in your life that is bringing you down, believe me when I say that it will not last forever and that it is OK to be upset. Just do not give up hope! I believe in you as do your friends and family and you should believe in yourself! I know what you are going through, I really, truly do. I guarantee you, that you will look back one day and say, “You know, yeah I was going through a hard time in my life, but I became a better and stronger person because of it!”
One thing I will say though is, do not ever be afraid to stand up to them. Show them that you are a better person. And if that does not work, do not ever be afraid to tell someone what you are going through.
There is always someone there to help you, whether it is a family member or even a close friend. If you are a student, please go to a principal, a teacher, or even anyone you feel comfortable with, and let them know you are being bullied. And if you are in the workplace, tell a co-worker, or someone you trust. Nobody should have to deal with it alone.I hope you get some positivity from this. Remember that you are never alone. And most importantly: always, alwaysremember to never give up!
P.S. to the bullies, please understand that when you bully someone, because of your insecurities, there is no reason anyone should have to suffer for that. There is no reason that someone should have to suffer because of the things going on in your life. You need to get help as well, and bullying is no way to deal with it. Just something for you to think about.
