I went on a run today for the first time in a long time. I had on my water pack, long pants, short sleeved training shirt from last year, and a cap. I was running along getting down with my bad self to "American Idiot" when I overhear from a small crowd of middle schoolers a comment about that fatty running by, followed by laughter.
Could I have gotten all sad or pissed off or some other negative emotion that directly affects me? Sure. And at some point, I'm sure I would have. But today? Nope.
Instead, all I did was toss them a pitying look and kept on running. I understand that some kids feel the need to be mean or others simply were never taught manners. I understand that some kids who may be nice in general are affected by peer pressure and feel as if all they can do is laugh along, even if they don't feel like it.
I found myself hoping for each of these kids that they might learn some understanding. I get that I'm not small, but I'm by no means huge. If they were mean to me, how much meaner are they to people who are bigger than I? I found myself thankful that these few taunts were all I received and that I'm able to quickly move away from them. I ran away. Haha, get it?
Seriously though, I did find myself hoping these children won't learn the hard way what it is to have any kind of physical problem. I found myself hoping that these children won't be bullied like they bully others, because oftentimes someday, that's exactly what happens. I found myself hoping these children learn understanding of others by meeting others and learning to open their minds and hearts, in order to be more accepting and more kind.
I've spent my life, since I was in the first grade, talking about my hearing impairment with others. I don't do this to incite pity. I want nothing to do with such an emotion. Rather I do it because I hope people will learn. I hope people will learn that at the end of the day, we're all human. We all end up in the same general place, below dirt, up in the sky, or in the fire pits (based on whatever you believe). So why not make the world a little nicer place by not being a complete jerk to those around you? But, I can also understand that many people come from homes that are cloistered and do not understand differences other than those they grew up with, so I try to remember that when explaining something, anything, about what my life has been like. I'd like to think I'm not all that different than my friends or family, but I do know that there are people who do consider me that different.
But today... I was reminded why I have spent my life being open. Why I've always squashed the fear of rejection or the fear of more bullying to stand up and share. Because I understand that not everybody knows difference and that not everybody knows what to do with differences. Because I understand that knowledge can be power and the more knowledge I can share, the more knowledge other people can take in. Because I understand that I don't know it all and that I'm always wanting to learn more.
I'm not suggesting to be understanding of bullying, but rather to attempt to understand where the roots of it come from, in order to better combat it. Yelling at children never works (Hi Teacher Morgan who learned the hard way), but talking to them, learning about them, trying to connect with them goes a long way. Amazing thought... it works the same way with adults too. Go figure. Yes, there are wonderful differences in this world. Personality differences for instance. I'm simply referring to those pesky physical ones or heart related ones that people tend to get hung up on.
At the end of the day, in those respects, are we really all that different?
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