Let the Flowers in Us Bloom! ( Bullied or Bully?)

Let the Flowers in Us Bloom!

Bullied? Or a bully?
Where do you belong? How do you feel?

When I was still a young girl, I used to think of school as the nicest place to be. My mother taught me so many things about it. She told me I should show my best and shine. I was dreaming of ribbons and medals and everything good about school.

My eagerness was satisfied when finally I entered school. It was fine and I really had the best times of my life during those days. However, there were times that my classmates would tease me. The color of my skin was never an issue to me until one day I was called negra. I never understood it then but it got me sick in the head looking myself in the mirror. Of course now I understand. The reason why skin whitening products are so popular in our country because of the concept that Caucasian look is more beautiful than being brown or black. The size of my body; I was called pig because I am overweight. Negra and pig were words used to describe me.

Well, friends and playmates could be harsh sometimes; somehow I get used to it. My self confidence didn’t diminish. I have my intelligence and it all that mattered to me. Parents could also be some kind of abusive in their remarks to us, their children. Somehow, because perhaps we were made to believe that love is sacrifice so we sacrifice; love of parents is long suffering. They are gifts from God no matter who they are. Who among us were given the opportunity to choose our parents? Of course, none.

Well, classmates and playmates bully; some tolerable fines from parents and family. They’re somehow part of… we call it part of growing up. Life is not of course a bed of roses.

What is sickening to me is the fact that bullying exists in schools and some of these are committed by teachers. Republic Act 10627 of 2013 defines bullying as repeated acts of physical or psychological harm done by one person or groups of persons to another. All of you, students, parents, teachers, I know we know the fact that bullying exists in our schools yet have we really been serious about it?

Just recently, there were reports of suicides and guesses were made that because the person who committed it was under extreme depression. Teachers, let me tell you. Being called of adjectives like nincompoop and idiot cuts us. Being branded as irresponsible hurts us. Do you really know what is happening inside us? Do you know how many “tolerables “ have we tolerated just to come to school?

And… classmates, do we really need to put other down to be up? Why do we bully? Psychology notes told me that those who bully have problems and those who always feel bullied have problems as well. Dear me, so how are we? What is our problem? And it seems that, though we survived the unruly teasing in our childhood days, we “ millennials” brought our need to overcome others through the social media. Cyberbullying is also a form of cruelty and violence. What makes bullying extraordinary is the fact that its effects could come creeping through our souls until we are declared LBD, living but dead. Bullying can kill our spirit.

Well, as I look at it, there will always be bullies and bullied in us. Culture have told us to compete. Our tendency is always to look for comparison. The ugly and the beautiful. The piggy and the coca cola… and the social media is the safest haven for bullies.

Will there never be another way? Shall our culture of bullying thrive until we become zombies and walking dead? What about starting the culture of thinking the good thoughts about our fellow, doing the good deeds for them and ourselves and saying the good words that matter to all of us? Which is better, shouting damn nincompoops or yeah, give it another try, lady?

I believe each of us would really love to believe that there is this goodness inside us. We only need to dig on this goodness a little each day through each and every good interaction here in school and in our community. Each of us are flowers who always have the right to bloom in our own special ways. Let us bloom together and make memories in this wonderful world. Stop bullying before it is too late. Classmates, teachers, parents, let’s do it!

(This piece was written by yours truly to be recited by a student in a Language Festival in their school)