This week’s Think Write Thursday topic is to tell a story about bullying. A time you witnessed it and stepped up or maybe a time you witnessed and did nothing. Or, if you haven’t had a personal experience with bullying, feel free to write a fiction piece on this topic.
Some weeks I would like to say – who the heck picked this, but yeah – that would be me, so I apologize in advance for such a challenging topic!
I think we would all like to say that if we viewed a person being bullied that we would step up and speak out. We would like to, but this is not always the case. However, recently in Olanthe, KS an incident occurred of harassment occurred and a bystander stood up for those being bullied, sadly he was injured in the incident that left one victim injured also, and one victim was killed. Still – someone stood up for what was right – even with peril to his life.
However, I have no such noble tale to tell regarding my heroics in standing up to a bully. Rather I found this quote by Michael M. Honda most appropriate:
Everyone in America likely has a bullying story, whether as the victim, bully or as a witness.
Let that sink in a minute… yeah, bullying is all inclusive…
Now I will share my story:
Most of my childhood I shared a bedroom with my younger sister, and we shared a double bed. Not so bad, really… unless one of you is a bed-wetter. My sister, sadly, wet the bed for years – really…years. However, thankfully, she does NOT read this blog! However, I am quite certain that I did not help at all in her bed-wetting issues, and perhaps I even made things worse.
I am ashamed to admit this today, but I delighted in scaring my sister with tales of the “monsters that lived under the bed, and if you could avoid them – the ones in the closet never, ever miss,” and delight I did. The more she was scared the happier I was.
Perhaps her wetting the bed was my just reward for being such a truly horrid child. I am most certain I deserved it, yet my sister, miraculously, does not hold my pathetic behavior against me – although we do not talk about the night terrors I gave her. Perhaps it is time that we do – a conversation that begins with my sincere apologies for my horrid behavior.
I am no longer that horrid little girl and I have grown to be a vocal advocate for bullying where and when I see it. I debated with my self about turning off comments for this post – but, I opted to leave them open. This post was not written to garner your sympathy, and as Mary said it is amazing the things we share here – if she could share her closet, I could do no less than share this story.
Today the final line from my Lenten devotion hit home… ‘is there a task that God has put on your heart?’ Yes, indeed there is.
If you would like read more Think Write Thursday posts from today you will find them here. If you would like to join Carole and me in our Think Write Thursday journey – we would love to have you join us! You can sign up here.
Ah . . . sibling bullying. It seems like a rite of passage — but it’s bullying all the same. Good for you for recognizing this — and for being brave enough to start the conversation. XO
Your story brings back a memory from my childhood that involved a sibling’s “bed wetting,” – I might just have to think on it and share…I appreciate your sharing a bit of who you were and helping us to think about ourselves. As we grow older we don’t always mature; but you have and I commend you and trust that I too can so claim.
Cheers~
I think you should talk to your sister about it, mostly because I bet her memories of this are completely different than yours and a conversation about it will probably help you to put it in perspective and stop feeling bad about your behavior. You were a child, too, after all.
I suspect most of us with siblings have stories like this to tell, and likely we’ve all done things to each other that we now regret. I have one brother who is more than six years younger than me (so a big age difference as well as a gender difference was at play), and we definitely tormented each other as kids. I’m happy to say that we’re now much closer — he even lives about two blocks away from me!
I admit to bullying my siblings (oldest of seven, mind you) and to being bullied in school (tall and skinny-scarecrow-like). Since we are more aware I’d like to think I would step in and do something.
I bet anyone with siblings has a bullying story; I know I do, and as the older sister, I was the bully. At the time it seemed like just fun, but as an adult I can see that the “tickle tortures” I inflicted were exactly that. I did apologize to my sister a long time ago, and I was horrified and ashamed to learn that these “tickle tortures” were even more awful for her than I had imagined. It gave me a different perspective and a vow to try and avoid causing pain to anyone by bullying words or actions. Luckily for me, my sister is a forgiving person.
I think everyone has probably done something like this, either to a sibling or even to a best friend. When you are a kid, “bullying” seems like something involving hitting, or name-calling, etc. Only when you are older, do you realize that some of your “teasing” or just plain behavior within your own family could probably fall into the category. I give you credit for realizing it, better late than never. I hope you and your sister can talk about it and move on together.
Sibling bullying–I try to forget how cruel my older sisters were to me.
I think you’re incredibly brave to share this story. Personal history is way more personal than a closet. I hope you’ve forgiven yourself and your sister (and that she’s forgiven you!) for all that transpired on that bed years ago 🙂 [p.s. the order I listed those forgives in isn’t arbitrary!]
I was mean to my little sister in many ways and she loves to remind me of how I was to her. We are now bestest of friends and my memory dims of my meanness. However, I would fiercely protect her from other mean people!! Sibling relationships are quite deep and fascinating.