They Called Me Pork Chop

It seems that everyone in life has something they have to grandstand for.  Some people choose political avenues, other choose to do it more privately with just their families. Some people choose guns.  Some people choose equal rights.  Some people just choose simple things like the Golden Rule.  I choose bullying. My grandstand is against bullying.  Being a teacher is the perfect avenue for me to fight this battle in hopes that one day, it's eliminated.  I realize this is an uphill fight.  I still choose to fight it.  I realize I won't win.  I will do my best.  I will affect those I teach.  So long as I make it so even one less kid gets bullied, one less kid has to feel the pain I grew up with, then my grandstand can be deemed a success.

They didn't call me Pork Chop. They called me Fat Pratt.  Everyone grows up with a nickname.  For some people, it comes from their real name. A Samantha might go by Sami. A Robert might go by Rob.  There's any number. I grew up with a kid who went by Budda. We call one of my best friends Huggies. The unfortunate side of this is that not all nicknames are so positive.  And what's worse, is we get bombarded by that ridiculous saying:

As if sticks and stones hurt any less than walking home friendless, or not having someone to play with at recess. I grew up hating that statement, "Words will never hurt you." Yes!  They will.  Stick and stones break bones which heal within a few weeks.  The brokenness you feel after being called names time and time again takes years, and that's IF it heals. And what's worse, is that it doesn't stop with the name calling.  The name calling is just the sticks, what follows is really the stones:

There's pushing into lockers.  There's tripping.  There's mocking.  Any form of making fun happens!  It happens more often than we care to admit.  And even if someone gets involved and puts a stop to what's seen, kids are creative.  They find ways to get around it.  They find unseen ways to continue the torture.  They prey on what they see as the weaker students, and the longer they prey, the weaker they get, until they grow up to be adults.  Sometimes the wounds heal, other times they don't.  I was probably in my early 20's before I allowed the emotional baggage to escape me; before I realized that the kids back in school really didn't matter.  It's not easy. Even when you have people looking at you telling you how beautiful and amazing you are, it's never easy.  And what's worse? "We're not the only kids who grew up this way."

Day after wretched day we watch other kids in the hallway going through the same bullying.  Name calling, pushing, talking behind backs.  The sad part is that too often these events are watched by a bystander and nothing gets done about it. We're not sure we're strong enough to help.  We don't want to get in the middle of it.  We don't want to be the next target of the bullying. "If a kid breaks in a school and no one around chooses to hear, do they make a sound?"

Yes! They do! And we as the bystanders need to choose to hear that sound! Listen to them! Stand up for them!  Stand up to those bullying and tell them we've had enough!  One of the most power things I've seen in a long time is so subtle.  Say the word "beauty" out loud and really listen to how you say it.  You cannot say the word "beauty" without saying the word "you".

You need to tell yourself that.  Over and over again, you need to tell yourself you are beautiful.  And if you are having problems saying that and believing it, than by golly you need to:

Because each and every one of us is beautiful in our own right.  We are who we are.  We are unique.  We are individuals.  We are different, and it is those differences that turn us from the lousy caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly.

Growing up can be tough.  It's hard enough on it's own, developing bodies, developing minds, family life, money, work, health, relationships.  Life has enough troubles on it's own without us creating so, so many more for each other.  I beg you all, please.  I'm down on my hands and knees, please, please, PLEASE... let's put a stop to the bullying.  Let's start caring for one another, and boosting each others spirits.  Rather than putting each other down, let's bring ourselves to new heights!  Let's soar to places we never knew we could, and let's do it more easily than we ever thought possible because we are doing it together!

As I previously said, I realize my grandstanding is not going to bring an end to it all, so the most important thing I need you to do is not listen to them when they come around.  I don't care what they say; if it's about your looks, if it's about your size, if it's about your skills and talents, if it's for no reason at all, I don't care.  They are wrong.  They will always be wrong.  But for them to truly be wrong, you have to believe it.  You have to believe in yourself.  You have to believe

(I have to thank Shane Koyczan and everyone who helped him create the original video, "To This Day".  Without that platform, this blog would not have been possible.  If you have not seen the original video, please watch below.  It will be the most powerful way you can spend the next seven minutes of your life.)