I was picked on - OT

"Mark Edwards" wrote in message
news

In junior high, I had a friend was, to be polite, a total **** up. He had
an enemy list as long as my arm. When he walked down the halls, people
lined up to hit him.

I really don't remember how we came to be friends, but he was my buddy.

I would walk between him and the Wall o' Doom, and took all the punches.
They didn't hurt me. There was one HUGE guy who took exception to my help,
and he tormented me all year. I just ignored him because his punches
didn't
hurt. One day, I found some guy sitting on my friend's chest and whaling
away at him - I picked the guy up by his shirt collar, punched him and
dropped him.

The payback? At the end of the year, the huge bully apologized to me.
Three years later, my buddy comes back into town and said he straightened
up his life because I stood up for him, "for no apparent reason but
friendship."

I'm glad that it made a difference to two people, but it ****es me off
that this stuff happens.


Hugs and Purrs,
Mark
--
Proof of Sanity Forged Upon Request

Everything I learn about you deepens my conviction that you are a really
good person.

Joy

"Joy" wrote in message
. ..
I thought I'd start a new thread as a result of some of the things that
have been said in the "chopped liver" thread.

When I was in school, I was picked on because I was younger than nearly
all of my classmates. I was called "the baby" and jeered at on a regular
basis. I was already extremely shy, and that didn't help. I did do well
in school, and that probably added fuel to the fire. I shall never stop
being grateful to my parents for refusing to let me be advanced two grades
in elementary school. That would have driven me so far into my shell I
never would have found my way out.

I got teased about my name, too. That was more good-natured, but it still
bothered me because I didn't want people looking at me.

I started this thread, not to talk about myself, but because several
people in that other thread mentioned being picked on in school. I
thought it would be interesting to see just how many of us did fit into
that category, and if there is anyone who wasn't picked on.

Joy


I was usually the odd (wo)man out because I was a military brat. We moved
literally every year until I was in high school. Military timing sucks,
too. I was always being "introduced" to the class in the middle of a school
year. By then everyone had already formed their little cliques, even if
they hadn't been going to school together since they were just out of
diapers. I was pretty much a loner. Oh, I made friends here and there but
I learned early on not to form attachments. We were just going to pick up
and move again so what was the point? In some ways I suppose it made me
stronger. More self-reliant. I spent my time reading (still do).

Then my father retired from the Marines. I got to go to high school in one
place. (I don't think I ever quite trusted that.) By that time I'd decided
I didn't care what anyone thought of me. I was going to do my own thing and
everyone else be damned. Surprisingly, it was this "I don't give a damn"
attitude that got me accepted. Suddenly I fit in with whatever group you
can think of. The jocks, the cheerleaders, the high school leaders (student
body government-types), the geeks, the freaks ("hippies" by 1974 standards).
I was no longer an outsider... by sheer force of will. I was still a loner
(always will be). But I asserted myself. That wasn't easy, because I got
good grades without even trying. People wanted to cheat off my papers, I
said NO. If that meant they wouldn't talk to me after class, too bad. My
entire attitude was I didn't care what people thought of me. I had my
principles and that was that. Ha!

I was the odd one who *liked* Shakespeare And I wrote poetry. That
endeared me to several teachers but being a poet doesn't exactly win
popularity contests. But wait! Yes it did! Girls used to beg me to write
poems for them to give to their boyfriends. I wonder if those poor deluded
boys ever realized *I'm* the one who wrote those heartbreaking lines of
love? LOL

Ah, but that was all a long time ago. Time does march on. I have a small
core group of friends, but they're scattered around the country.
(Ironically, they were the ones who moved. We keep in touch via email.)
Then I moved here. Hopefully for the last time because (can you blame me?)
I hate moving! I've got John, I've got Persia (who is snoring behind me on
her crackle-sack). I've got books to read and meals to cook. Earlier
tonight there was a glorious moon shining on the patio and I sat outside and
enjoyed it.

Jill

"Joy" wrote in message
. ..
I thought I'd start a new thread as a result of some of the things that
have been said in the "chopped liver" thread.

When I was in school, I was picked on because I was younger than nearly
all of my classmates. I was called "the baby" and jeered at on a regular
basis. I was already extremely shy, and that didn't help. I did do well
in school, and that probably added fuel to the fire. I shall never stop
being grateful to my parents for refusing to let me be advanced two grades
in elementary school. That would have driven me so far into my shell I
never would have found my way out.

I got teased about my name, too. That was more good-natured, but it still
bothered me because I didn't want people looking at me.

I started this thread, not to talk about myself, but because several
people in that other thread mentioned being picked on in school. I
thought it would be interesting to see just how many of us did fit into
that category, and if there is anyone who wasn't picked on.

Joy

I was also a very shy child and I started being picked on when I was 10. I
believe it was largely due to my teacher! My parents separated, which was
quite uncommon back then. I was off sick from school for a couple of days
so my teacher announced to the class that my parents had split up so they
"had to be nice to me". Kids being kids and all that decided to be quite
the opposite. There were 2 particlar girls who made school life a living
hell. The whole class went on a trip for a week to a farm, these 2 girls
spread their nastiness amongst the class, saying I was stealing things from
them (which of course I wasn't), and not one person in the class spoke to me
the whole time. I remember crying every day that I wanted to go home! The
2 girls carried on being spiteful through the next year of junior school
too, although by now I did have 2 very good friends in my class who were
very kind to me. By the time we went on to high school at age 12 I had
learned to ignore it. I made lots of new friends and was quite happy. I
attended a school reunion a few years ago and wasn't overly surprised to
discover that one of the nasty girls from school hadn't changed a bit over
the years!

Sharon

On 7/25/2010 8:30 PM, Joy wrote:
I thought I'd start a new thread as a result of some of the things that have
been said in the "chopped liver" thread.

When I was in school, I was picked on because I was younger than nearly all
of my classmates. I was called "the baby" and jeered at on a regular basis.
I was already extremely shy, and that didn't help. I did do well in school,
and that probably added fuel to the fire. I shall never stop being grateful
to my parents for refusing to let me be advanced two grades in elementary
school. That would have driven me so far into my shell I never would have
found my way out.

I got teased about my name, too. That was more good-natured, but it still
bothered me because I didn't want people looking at me.

I started this thread, not to talk about myself, but because several people
in that other thread mentioned being picked on in school. I thought it
would be interesting to see just how many of us did fit into that category,
and if there is anyone who wasn't picked on.

Joy


MEEEE

My maiden name is Kraus - a VERY German name (thankfully, WWII was over
by decades before I came along!), and the kids in my school thought they
were geniuses when they came up with the term "sour kraut" for me. That
really made me angry. That and the fact that my first grade teacher
thought she should know better than me how to pronounce my last name (it
rhymes with house, she pronounced it as "cross"), even though my family
had it for, oh, say a century, before she even existed.

But it was in second grade that I learned to not let things bother me,
when some of the kids said something about me, they weren't even
taunting me at the time, but I heard it, and it struck me as funny, and
I burst out laughing. Which made *them* mad.

Epiphany!!!!

Ever since then, I have laughed at myself, made fun of myself... etc.,
etc.,...

--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

I don't think of myself as having been 'picked on', although like many
of you, I was younger and smaller than average, and didn't always fit in
well or easily.

Certainly, there have been people who treated me badly at various times
during my life. I learned to deal with it in various ways. The most
liberating came with age, when I realized that (a) sometimes people
weren't even thinking of me when I thought they were making remarks
directed at me or deliberately ignoring me and (b) other people's
opinions of me only mattered if they were people I loved or respected,
or if they were in a position to stop me from earning a living (or, I
suppose harm me in some other concrete way).

--
Cheryl P.

Joy wrote:
I thought I'd start a new thread as a result of some of the things that have
been said in the "chopped liver" thread.

When I was in school, I was picked on because I was younger than nearly all
of my classmates. I was called "the baby" and jeered at on a regular basis.
I was already extremely shy, and that didn't help. I did do well in school,
and that probably added fuel to the fire. I shall never stop being grateful
to my parents for refusing to let me be advanced two grades in elementary
school. That would have driven me so far into my shell I never would have
found my way out.

I got teased about my name, too. That was more good-natured, but it still
bothered me because I didn't want people looking at me.

I started this thread, not to talk about myself, but because several people
in that other thread mentioned being picked on in school. I thought it
would be interesting to see just how many of us did fit into that category,
and if there is anyone who wasn't picked on.

Joy

I hated school, from the age of 13 I stopped attending most of the time.
I officially left school at the age of 15 with no qualifications, still
I have no regrets.

--
Adrian (Owned by Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

I hated school, from the age of 13 I stopped attending most of the time.
I officially left school at the age of 15 with no qualifications, still I
have no regrets.

--
Adrian (Owned by Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

It's rare I speak to someone who will say they actually enjoyed school. My
sister is considering home schooling my nephew. He is not quite 3 yet so
she has plenty of time to gather all the information etc that she can to
help her make her decision. She also had a bad time at school so is keen
for him not to suffer in the same way. I can see her point whereas the rest
of the family think she is nuts.

Sharon

Sharon & Smudgie wrote:
I hated school, from the age of 13 I stopped attending most of the time.
I officially left school at the age of 15 with no qualifications, still I
have no regrets.

--
Adrian (Owned by Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

It's rare I speak to someone who will say they actually enjoyed school. My
sister is considering home schooling my nephew. He is not quite 3 yet so
she has plenty of time to gather all the information etc that she can to
help her make her decision. She also had a bad time at school so is keen
for him not to suffer in the same way. I can see her point whereas the rest
of the family think she is nuts.

Sharon


I found school mostly boring, occasionally interesting, enjoyable, or
bad, but I wouldn't home school a child of mine. If I'd been home
schooled, it would have been a disaster to judge by the results of my
mother attempting to teach me to play the piano. Sometimes it's easier
to learn from someone who has less tied up emotionally in the outcome,
and, of course, not everyone is a good teacher even of things they know
very well.

I don't see why whether or not it's always enjoyable makes a difference.
It's not as though you can expect to enjoy all of any activity.

--
Cheryl P.

I found school mostly boring, occasionally interesting, enjoyable, or bad,
but I wouldn't home school a child of mine. If I'd been home schooled, it
would have been a disaster to judge by the results of my mother attempting
to teach me to play the piano. Sometimes it's easier to learn from someone
who has less tied up emotionally in the outcome, and, of course, not
everyone is a good teacher even of things they know very well.

I don't see why whether or not it's always enjoyable makes a difference.
It's not as though you can expect to enjoy all of any activity.

--
Cheryl P.

Yes that's a good point. My sister was bullied for years at high school and
I think that is what has affected her whole judgement on the "school
experience". Her theory is why should Jack be stuck in a classroom all day
learning the curriculum when she can teach him it and give him better
"worldly" experiences. I can see where she is coming from due to classroom
overcrowding and the disruptive children etc but on the other hand I wonder
about him lacking in social skills amongst other things because of it. He
can do evening activities with other children such as cubs, football club
etc as she pointed out. I do wonder if he would find it suffocating being
with her 24/7 as well?

Sharon

On Jul 25, 6:15*pm, Yowie wrote:

I endured 4 years of bullying with my parents just saying 'ignore it,
they just want attention' - until I just snapped one day and hit back. I
thinkthe bully was only a little more surprised than I was - it wasn't a
*good* punch or anything, but it did show that I was no longer going to
put up with it.

When I was in primary school (started the last year of infants school)
a group of boys used to pick on me probably because they lived near me
and in order for me to get home I had to walk down an alleyway so they
could trap me and so anything from steal my pocket money to ripping my
schoolbooks up to pulling down my knickers. I used to dread walking
home from school because this would happen in patches- one week they'd
be there every day then I might get a couple of weeks of peace then 2
days together then nothing then a week of it.....I can still remember
the ring;leader was a guy called Malcolm Hewitt. I told my mum about
it but she just told me off for losing my pocket money.

One day as I approached the alley I saw Malcolm standing there,
glancing round I could see his cronies taking position and something
snapped...He came towards me, made a grab for my satchel and somehow I
got hold of his collar and spun him round then pushed him with as much
force as an outraged 8-year old girl who has been pushed too far once
too open towards a wall, caught off balance he must have thrown his
hands in front of him and he hit the wall, which was pebble
dashed.....tore his knuckles to bits, rather a lot of blood was
drawn...

My mother tanned my hide good and proper when she heard about it (as
she did from his parents) for being so un-ladylike as to brawl
but....he never came near me again

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs