I watched Cold Case earlier tonight and it was about an oversize young lady that was murdered by some frat brothers. I saw myself in this episode. How was I bullied and mobbed for my 'excess'. In primary school kids can be mean.. I vaguely remember how kids didn't want to sit next to me or when I wasn't invited to parties. Oh yes it hurt, wondering what was wrong with me. Why couldn't people see what a fun person I can be, behind all the fat and excess? why was appearance such a big deal?
Now looking back, I think this is what has made me strong. My perception of these kids were, if they don't know how to be nice, then they are not worth being friends with. I told myself, it is their loss, not mine. I guess I had that mantra in me for a looong time, so long I believed in it.
Fast forward 6 years, secondary school. Things were no better either in an all-girls school. I thought it was but now i realised I was never part of any 'gang', 'group' till I was 16, when I became a peer counsellor. I had guidance from 3 wonderful teachers in school.
Fast forward to 2004. Living in Sweden. Modern society. bla bla bla.. here bullying is taken seriously in schools, as in bullies are punished, expelled, transfered out (in rare cases) but I came across something more baffling... my very own teacher was being nobbed!!
Anna (not her real name) had been working in the school in the municipal for over 20 years. She was well-loved, needed a lot by many students and well, she was more than a teacher I feel. She was like a mother, a counsellor, a legal advisor, a health advisor, a contact for many of us.
Anna's popularity was not liked by a few and from what I heard, the department she worked for was going to be taken away or given to someone else to run. Anna worked for this department her whole life!
Being someone who dislikes injustice, I decided to do something about but Anna wouldn't tell me anything as she didn't want me to get involved or into trouble. The least I did was to get Anna to tell her story to a local politician, Scott. I wished I was there to see Scott's face when he found out cause Scott really brought the house down in the coming months of endless meetings. Yeah, thats another thing about the swedes - the have endless of meetings with no substantial solution cause these fellas are so bloody scared of conflicts. so what do they do? keep their bloody mouth shut, try and let time go by hoping the situation would solve by itself. Fools, i tell ya!
Anna's bosses, 3 of them, I shall call them The Rascal, The Sly Dog and the softie. These fellas really need to attend a course called 'how to find a bully and hunt him down'. OK seriously, at least a course in people management and how to deal with conflicts and not running away like a sissy!
I actually had a meeting with The Rascal, it was supposed to be a private one but apparently the Sly Dog found out about it and threatened to take me to court. So i told the dog, tell me what i said was a lie and i will make an apology.
Damn, i wanted Doggy to make that police report but I know doggy is shit scared.
2 years has passed, Anna works in the same school but in a different department. What a loss for the community, the council and her students.
I am not giving up.. I've got things working and stirring up. I don't like injustice. Never have, never will.
