Just For Old Times Sake

[Melani]

How many of you guys had to fight a bully and then the arguments were over in your younger years?

Talk about Daniel and the Lions I'll start my story off. In the 8th Grade I had a group of girls that would meet me after the last period of the day and everyday I would have a hand full of books because I didn't want to go back to my locker. About 5 girls wihich I had never made mad or in fact didn't know who they were would step on my shoes everyday and I would have to go to the corner of the hall, put my books down and and put my shoes back on and retie them. I'd wait till they were long gone down the hall before I headed out the closest door to run off to mama and get in the car. I didn't have any of my friends around during that last period to make the odds even either. This went on forever and one day I told mama and daddy I'm never going back to school. I think my mom went to the school to talk to the Principal and I guess he thought things would get old and they would leave me alone. It didn't so nope I wasn't ever going back to have to redo my shoes again with all those books. (Hey these girls were big and tall) so my dad called me into the living room one day and told me to empty my purse, it was yes sir yet I didn't know why. He told me to go get a brick and put it in my purse and thats it, so I did. You didn't buck what he had to say. I came back in the house with that brick put it in my purse and he said the next timethey step on my shoes, pull them on off and start swinging. Boy talking about someone who was scared, that scared me to death. I had to make up my mind who I was more afraid of, those big girls, the Principal or my dad. I decided it was dad. The girls met me again after waiting a while in that class ( thought they would gone) they weren't of course. The stepped on my shoes and I decided it's now or never. I pulled my shoes and socks off, laid my books down and went to swinging in this big circle and got everyone of them. I yelled like a person on a rollor coaster making contact with each one. They went and told on me because I'm sure that brick hurt pretty bad but the moral of that story was, I never had to face the Principal (because he knew what was happening) and the girls never ever stepped on my shoes again, and I didn't get in trouble with daddy for taking up for myself. I carried that brick another week just to make certain I didn't need it anymore, then after that week put my make up, pencils and things girls carry back into my purse. After the story got around no one ever stepped on my shoes again.

 

[Mustang76]

The sad thing Melani is now the principal still wouldn't do anything but you would probably get a ticket and serve time in alternative school. My son who most likely won't have to worry about bullies (big boy) has been given my permission to take up for kids who are bullied. I've always told him that I will back him up no matter what.

 

[CRSARM]

I went to high school in Gordon.......here is my story.

A couple of years ago I came back into the area with my sister to go to a funereal of a HS friend. A man got up to read a poem who was her cousin. It was a very beautiful, sad poem.

After we went back to my car, it was me, mom snd my sister. We were sitting in the car when the man walked by. My mother asked him if he went to school in Gordon, he did. She asked him if he knew either one of us kids, Angie Martin or Andy Martin. He thought a minute, looked at me and said, "I remember you, you were the hairy bully." I sat there shocked.

I was a good football and basketball player. I went to state in number sense 3 times and all a student could remember was that I was a bully. This made me sad. Yes, I was a bully......I picked on every boy in the HS. If one looked at my girlfriend I threw him to the wall. Looking back on it now I see that I was very insecure and I took it out on my classmates.

Bullys reading this now be careful, you will regret it in the future.

Andy

 

[Melani]

Mustang your so right. That's what's wrong with our babies today. No one is allowed to touch another but they do, with guns and knives. In our days kids would be sent to the Alternative Schools if they brought weapons to school but those guns are getting into our schools today. I went down to pay my daughters cheerleading fees and I had to talk to a policeman (wearing a gun) and explain why I was on the premises. Times have changed. God was taken out of the schools and no teacher or Principal can disipline a child in the way we were. We grew up knowing if we made the wrong choice, we sure had to pay for it. Thank goodness the bullies that picked on me, and my actions in self defense were years ago. Kudo's to you and your son for helping out others that are too young or afraid to take up for themselves. God needs to be back in our schools, kids need the freedom to let teachers and others know when a childs gone wrong or is planning to do harm to others with out reprecussions from others. We need to love our kids enough so they don't go wrong. Another thing is I don't blame guns and knives. A gun or knife used to harm others are the bad choices of kids or adults. My hopes would be that the kids that plan or want to inflict harm on others would go for help. Oh if God were only back in our schools. I know they're are groups of kids that pray anyway. My heart goes out to them. God Bless the Kids that Stand Up for What's Right and All Good.

 

[Melani]

Kudo's to you CRSARM. I pray your post reaches all the kids that read this board. Maybe the kids could direct bullies to this site to see how you feel now. God Bless You for being Man Enough to Change. Your slates wiped clean in God's Eyes and anyone else who might of known you as a bully. Your a man now that learned the errs of your ways. God Bless You Abundantly for your story. Hopefully kids who pick on others will learn from you. May your message go east to west, north to south.

 

[allforhim]

When I grew up, I was also bullied...but my parents told me that fighting was wrong even if it was defending myself. My philosophy with both of my boys is different. Fighting is wrong unless you are defending yourself or someone else. Both of my boys are taking Karate and my 13 year old is a short distance away from getting his black belt and they are taught in karate and at home that karate is for self defense only. I pray that they never have to use it but I don't want them to go through what I went through either...It is kind of funny because my oldest is a 7th grader and there is a junior in high school that is in our youth group and attends the same karate class but just started and he is actually scared of my son. Eventhough he is a good foot taller. Thankfully they are both brothers in Christ and joke about it. I am also thankful that my oldest is there to protect my youngest, who hasn't been in karate for to long. You know what they say...don't mess with family!!

 

[6manfan4life]

Wow, this thread is really teaching the youth of today to do the right thing... (said sarcastically) First you teach them that the school administration wont do anything to protect the little guy/girl, then you teach them to get a possibly deadly weapon, or make your body one, to fight back.

Has anyone ever heard of "nonviolent" ways of handling these situations? Believe it or not, they do exist...

 

[allforhim]

Wow, this thread is really teaching the youth of today to do the right thing... (said sarcastically) First you teach them that the school administration wont do anything to protect the little guy/girl, then you teach them to get a possibly deadly weapon, or make your body one, to fight back.

Has anyone ever heard of "nonviolent" ways of handling these situations? Believe it or not, they do exist...

First of all, I teach my boys to do everything possible to avoid violence. I am not condoning (sp?) fighting. They take Karate in order to DEFEND themselves from being attacked, but in the same instance I'm not going to tell them to ignore the bully when they get pushed to the ground or get a busted nose like I did. Don't get me wrong, if someone is verbally picking on them then they are to ignore it and walk away. I do not want them to fight, just protect themselves. My oldest is a very good athlete and actually used his knowledge of self defense to help break up a fight between 2 of his friends without getting hurt himself.

In todays time though, school administration are handcuffed to what they can and can't do. In my time I would get my backside busted by the principal for fighting, but now they can do is in school suspension, which for some kids is what they want.

 

[Melani]

Everything is a catch 22. I taught my boys to not fight and to stay away from bullies (or gangs). I told them to be kind and respect all people but to steer clear of kids that would get them in trouble. Then my husband taught them to never let someone get the first punch on them no matter what so my kids were a bit confused in what to do. As ALLFORHIM STATED, we were a family and we stuck together. All it took was one of our kids to cry and mom and dad were on the situation in a heart beat. This thread has taken a left turn. Were not telling kids to be violent, were telling them to not start any trouble such as in my incidence in the 70's, it couldn't be helped. I got bullied everyday. Kids do need to know how to take up for themselves but never to be the instigator. The post orginated by saying Lets Get God Back In Schools. I love the Lord with all my heart but when going shopping and I get this inside warning about someone following behind me, I get my keys out and am ready to use them to protect myself. That's what our world has come down too since God is taken out of everything, even the schools hands. If anyone has a better idea on what to tell these kids, then please do it. This thread isn't about being a bully, it's just the opposite, but where does a kid draw the line?

 

[Melani]

I'm sorry for the confusion. I guess in telling my story I was saying back in the 70's this is how you had to handle situations if you were the target but were in the 2000's where kids kill innocent kids instead of bullying them. What I was saying is that I hope another Columbine never happens again. I was comparing then and now. It broke my heart to read this mans words about the daughter he lost and the teacher including 11 other kids. In Columbine other kids had heard these two boys make this threat before it ever happened and nothing could be done because it was a threat and no action had been taken. In this time of the world if every kid no matter what the threat is by a troubled kid would be heard and acted on maybe there would be no more Columbine incidences. My heart just went out to the man and his family, then my never ending mind went back to the days when I was growing up. There's a great big difference now and if the people over the school would of listened to those kids telling them the plans of the massacre and it had been acted on, just maybe it would of never happened. I'll shut up now.