What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger | Teen Ink

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

August 2, 2010
By bianca1 SILVER, San Diego, California
bianca1 SILVER, San Diego, California
5 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game


Bullying, you’re lucky if you never experience it. Most of us aren’t that lucky. Bullying is a fact of life. So much it’s even a source of entertainment. A show like “Gossip Girl” is about vicious rumors that gets out of hand. In the show “Glee” the main characters get bullied just for being who they are. At school, or home, physical or verbal, bullying happens. It’s awful when it happens in your tween or teen years. These are supposed to be some of the most fun and awkward times of our lives. Words can scar a person mentally and emotionally. They can confuse you. Someone can make mean jokes about the way you look, your race, who you hang around with, what your wearing, your grades whether it is good or bad. You can ignore the taunts and insults but that’s hard to do. You can say to yourself this bully is just bored, with nothing better to do or maybe he or she learned their behavior from their parents. But then you’re just making excuses for the bully. There is no “good” reason for bullying. You can hope the bully goes away. Mine’s did, but it took a while to heal the damage she did to me.

Middle school was a hard transition. I went from a small elementary, to a big middle school. But it was even worse when a ‘popular girl’ and her friends verbally tormented me. They called me “ugly,” and “weird,” I was just being myself. I don’t know if there was a vicious rumor going around me. But I wanted it all to stop. It got so bad, I felt worthless. I couldn’t even look at myself and I stopped wanting to go to school. We only had one class together but it was two hours long. I thought she was nice at first. I don’t know why she turned on me. I’ll be honest I wished she would just go away, or someone would tease her for once. I wish I could have stuck up for myself better or found someone to talk about it while it was happening, but I was too embarrassed. She was supposed to be in all my classes my second year of middle school. I remember the teachers calling out her name. I thought there would be another year of suffering. Finally someone said she had moved and was going to another school. “What a relief ” I thought. Later I overheard other people disliked her too. They thought she was conceited, and hated how she spread rumors about others. She left but I still had a bad self image. Old wounds heal though. I’m in my first year of high school, which is much bigger than my middle school. I’m stronger because I know myself better and I know who my friends are. They let me be myself, they don’t care that I’m quiet, but sometimes loud. Or confident but sometimes scared. They make me feel beautiful inside and out. I feel like I fit in when I’m with them.


I had one special friend who I trusted and she helped me recover. Now whenever a friend is having a hard time I always listen to them. One of my friends has had problems at home, I listened to her when she talked about her problems and told her to maybe see a counselor. I have another friend who get’s picked on. Girls will make fun of the way she dresses, and take her P.E. clothes and throw them in the shower stalls. I also tell her to maybe see a counselor, but I also always let her know I’m here to listen. There are many forms of bullying. Cyber bullying has became more popular. It is also known as the “invisible attack” because the bully can be anonymous. They can trash people. It’s not fair. Teenagers like myself make technology our whole world. Why should somebody have to give it up just because another person gets pleasure out of pain? But once any damage is done it is all about the way a person handles it. I now take care of myself better. My bully left and I did not let another one take her place. I know now that a bully’s words are meaningless if you know yourself well. I love writing, sports, and performing arts. My goal is to be successful in each one. No one volunteers to be bullied. But if it happens know that there is always a light at the end of each tunnel. You might come out a better person. There are celebrities who say they were bullied when they were young, and the experience made them stronger and now I know what they mean.


The author's comments:
My inspiration for this writing piece is that ever since the time I got bullied I've had this story stuck inside of me and I've been wanting to share this story with someone. So now that it's three years later I've felt it's finally time to share my story and maybe other people can relate to it and know they are not alone.

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This article has 5 comments.


raccoonie said...
on Aug. 6 2010 at 12:03 pm
This was really well written. It's good to have an article based on personal experiences. Thanks for sharing! :)

sazzy2000 said...
on Aug. 5 2010 at 11:35 pm
beyonce ive known u have talked about this girl but now i remember and im really sad

on Aug. 5 2010 at 2:25 pm
MilesToTravel BRONZE, Homedale, Idaho
4 articles 0 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
May the odds be EVER in your favor- Effie Trinket

Thank you for sharing this I know its hard to admit that your being bullied becuase I only had the courage a couple months ago to write about me.. I don't know when it'll stop but I know now that if you don't listen to the hurtful words it hurts less. Your article was well written and I'm glad your friends helped you through it...:)

jazokay said...
on Aug. 5 2010 at 10:23 am
well written article, it's too bad, bullying still exists.

on Aug. 5 2010 at 3:36 am
Healing_Angel SILVER, Sydney, Other
8 articles 2 photos 509 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live for today, not for tomorrow

That saying is so true. Do you know the other one? "Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me?" I've had that repeated so many times over the years and it's simply not true! As you know, words do hurt! Thanks for writing this article! :) I hope you can begin to heal from the past.