People never change. Or do they? That's a question I often ponder. I can honestly say that some do. As for Steve M., I can relate to his story. My hell was also elementary school, where kids focused on my fatness. Why are some kids so cruel?

The first day of sixth grade hadn't been too bad; my mom had brought me to school and picked me up. But on the second day, I had to take the bus by myself for the first time. Over the summer, I had gained quite a few pounds and weighed in at 178 pounds. My whole family's "big boned," as we call it, so being heavy didn't bother me until I stepped onto that school bus.

I walked down the aisle with all eyes on me. I went to sit with one girl, but she moved to the middle so I couldn't. As I walked down the aisle, others repeated her action. I found an empty seat at the back. It was like I smelled or something. I figured out what was going on a second later when a girl said, "I'm surprised she fits into a seat of her own." From there, the year went downhill.

Those kids put me through a lot of emotional abuse. As with Steve, things changed for me in seventh grade. All the fat jokes that once tortured me were thrown out the window when I lost 50 pounds. Sometimes it takes that kind of experience to help us grow. I chose to transform a negative experience into a positive outlook.

I wanted to thank Steve for sharing his experience because it helped me to share mine. I was fortunate to pull through and know that I will never treat anyone with that disrespect.