Each of us has had our own share of tough times. But for me, there is nothing worse than being bullied. I want to share the story of a friend of mine who I want to hide in the name Tina. Tina was just 9 years old when she first experienced being bullied. The bully was also a girl, who we'll call Elena. Elena never bullied using punches and physical attacks. She used attacks that attacked the heart and mind. Elena would always sneak out of class every subject to get to Tina's locker. One time, when they have been classmates for 6 years, she put a dead, half-eaten swallow inside Tina's locker, and since she's popular, she said that Tina was eating the birds raw. Tina was so ashamed because she couldn't even defend herself from all of her classmates that have started calling her Cannibal. She was so depressed that she did not eat anything for an entire month, until her mother started getting worried about her. She was forced to tell the story because her mother was going to report the incident to the principal. In the end, she just winded up in her mother's arms like she always did when she was still 9. Her final words that day were, "I want it to stop.". Her mother thought that she meant that she was going to stand up for herself, but the next week, her mother found her with her mouth foaming. The doctors diagnosed it to be overdose from sleeping pills. They said that Tina took 12 pills that day. She was saved, but she never wanted to return to school. Her mother returned to her school that day, asking the principal why Tina didn't want to go to school. Then the principal showed Tina's mom the video that Elena posted on YouTube. It was a video of Tina, naked and running around the halls, looking for her clothes. The principal then explained that Elena and her friends took her clothes while she was showering after gym class. And she fell for the oldest trick in the book because she thought that everyone was already in class.

For the next couple of days, she wasn't forced to go to school. At the start of the next semester, she went back to school, thinking everyone might have forgotten. but as she entered that classroom, she is welcomed by Elena. Elena slammed her onto the choke board. Elena then tells her, "Welcome back smart a**, you must be wondering why I've been bullying you." She just nods, scared like a little puppy. "Well, then look at a mirror! You look annoying. And don't think that I don't know how you're sucking up to the teacher and to my boyfriend."

"Well, do I threaten you? You know, I've been putting up with you for 6 years, wondering why you keep humiliating me. And here I am, being shocked at how low your reason actually is. You are so pathetic." Tina says to Elena.

That started a move against Elena and all the other bullies in their school. Tina is now the school president and Elena has been kicked out of school because many other cases of her started popping out as students started to come out from their hiding holes after they heard Tina's speech.


You might be wondering why I shared Tina's story to you. I know that I kind of missed some important details about it, but I just wanted to point out a clear message. We shouldn't let bullies take us down. We might see bullies like a monster, a tornado that can't be stopped. But it's not always about the thorns and guns that they throw at us. Sometimes, it's better if we face those weapons of fear that they throw at us and use a shield of confidence to block away those hurtful things.


We all have our own bullies. May it be in school or society. But bullies are just our fears and insecurities. We can always have a choice to defend ourselves. Those bullies that represent the dark shadow of our life are always a guide to light. You can always find light behind that shadow, because there are no shadows without light.

Do not let those shadows block the light from your sight. Those lights aren't always going to sparkle for you. So, while you're still there, while you still see it, don't let go. Whoever tears that hold away from that light, whoever tries to take it away from you is just an obstacle that we should, no, we could over come.