I Have this Reoccuring Dream Where I am just about to Punch Someone
Today at school, we watched a video on school violence: bullying. There was the boy who was grabbing other kids and berating them, screaming at them, moving them from one place to another--dominating them physically;
there was this girl who came up from behind and grabbed another girl by her neck and drug her around the playground saying, "we're hurting her, wanna help?" and kids would come up and punch and kick her;
there was a fight like the ones at Highland used to be, a thick circle of kids in the parking lot surrounding two of their own, who were so mismatched! the thinner boy got beaten badly, punched in the kidneys and two directly in the face and he just stopped. He sat down, crying--rocking back and forth. (the one other time I remember someone rocking back and forth was the little boy at camp who had been abused badly in foster care. he was 5 years old, but he looked 3. He didn't look you in the eyes...ever)
I remember that...I remember being drug around when I was in elementary. (I remember being so scared as a freshman because this junior hated me. Every day she would find me and threaten me, make fun of me, intimidate me. I bawled EVERY DAY on my way home from school.) I wasn't a cool guy.
But, for my brother, who is a freshman, a big freshman who is smart and funny, a real cool guy. Baby, you need to know this:
- In one of every two acts of bullying/intimidation/violence, all it takes is one person to say, "Stop it." and the bullying will stop within 10 seconds. Be that one person, C-DAWG.
- Kids need ONE friend to get by. Just one that they can sympathize with, one that they can vent to--and I know you got your "one," but someone else doesn't. Be their one. Because if you don't, that is going to be the kid whose name is written on a big plaque at your graduation, "In loving memory of _____________." But you know that, don't you, little one. Your class already has to have one of those plaques... and I'm sorry about that.
- These are NOT the best years of your life. These are the worst. Things will get better.
- Always speak up. Just saying, "NO!" with force will cause bullies to reconsider and usually get the attention of someone who should help.
It's hard to stand up to a crowd. To a bully. But That's why Jesus came. 'Cause we couldn't do it on our own.
Romans 8: 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.
8:2 Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.


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