Inspiration

I think we all need to take a few moments today and watch this video.

CLICK!

Then come back when you've watched it!

I was truly moved by this strong, brave and confident woman. I feel like I had an awakening listening to her talking. She made me stop and think about the way I define myself and the way I think about myself.

I felt like I could relate to her a lot when she was talking about being bullied in school. It happened to me a lot at my first school. I started off as the quiet girl who got on with her school work and didn't cause any trouble. Then I somehow fell into the wrong crowd and became the rebel. The one who skipped classes and stayed out all night without telling my Mam. However once I made the conscious decision to leave that group of friends and try to get myself back on track, I found myself being the victim of so much hate.

I spent so many hours hiding in the toilets at lunch and again after school just so I could avoid people waiting at the gates to take turns at punching me. I remember one time I waited for an hour and a half before leaving and they were STILL waiting for me. They surrounded me in a semi circle so that I was pinned against the fence and they punched me over and over again. I luckily managed to get through them and ran back into the car park where a teacher was getting in her car. She saw the blood on my shirt and quickly got me inside.

It was the last straw. After months of torment, of name calling, of threats, the next day I walked up to the reception and demanded to talk to the headteacher. I sat there in that waiting room for two hours. No one bothered to come. No one bothered to check if I was okay. So I picked up my bag and I walked out, I went home and I never returned to that school.

I finally told my Mam about the bullying. I'd been so good at hiding it. I made up excuses for why I was late home saying I stayed in the library to do homework etc. She fought hard to get me into a new school and eventually we won.

I missed out on half a year of school and when I started my new school I was majorly behind. None of my teachers expected me to leave with grades higher than a D. However like Lizzie I used all the negativity that I received in my old school to push me forward and to prove everyone wrong.

I left school with 6 B's, 4 C's and 1 D.
I was so proud of myself.

I wanted to make this post as not many people know this story about me. Not many people understand why still to this day I have pretty low self esteem. Well now I hope people can understand.

Having a daughter now and seeing how much worse bullying in schools has gotten because of the new ways to do it, Youtube, Facebook, text messages, is so scary. I am so glad that none of these social media sites were really used back when I was in school. The only thing we had really was Faceparty! Hands up if you remember that!

I want my daughter to grow up knowing that even if people put her down or tell her she isn't beautiful, she can prove them wrong. She can be a better person than they are. She can be whoever she wants to be and she will not be defined by their hate.

Because at the end of the day the only thing we should feel for bullies is pity. They clearly have very ugly souls to belittle someone else.

DO NOT let them win!

Sorry if this was a massive ramble.
Jem
xo