I may not wear a cape, be
bullet-proof, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but I do defend
the weak and put myself in harm’s way to protect others, and that includes protecting
myself. I stand up for truth. I stand up to bullies. Does it ever cost me? Yes,
many, many, many times. But, I won’t
stop because it’s part of a moral code by which I live. (Yes, I’ve been
watching a lot of Dexter later and I too have a code and a Dark Passenger – it
may not be to kill serial killers (blood makes me nauseous), but it’s called
PTSD and is triggered when danger or bullying is present. It’s THE reason I
changed my college major from Early Childhood Education to Business. After
doing an internship for a local elementary school, I realized I couldn’t be a
teacher, which I was really good, because I knew I would end up in jail if I
remained in that profession. I’d go home most evening in tears because I had
recognized the signs of abuse and neglect, or lack of discipline which is also
another form of abuse and neglect. That internship made me realize I had an
elevated level of expectation for parents, and while I saw MANY great parents,
I also saw the piece-of-shit scumbags who called themselves parents but were no
more than spoiled-ass-selfish bullies walking around in the skins of adults. So,
I admire teachers today that are able to handle that knowledge and not allow it
to affect them. They are one of my greatest superheroes.
Yes, I’m judgmental. I don’t care about your faith, your sexual
orientation, your skin-color, your genetics, your linage, your social status,
your education level, your achievements, your bank balance, or anything you own
or don’t own. That’s your business, and I love and care for you as a human
being. BUT, as a human being, I do mind
how you treat others and the world in which we all live. Parents – I hold the
most judgement and expectations. Parents have the responsibility to care,
protect, and TEACH their children what is right. It is human nature to be selfish and
destructive. Yet, our main
responsibility as a parent isn’t just to provide food, clothing and
shelter. Those are the least of our responsibilities. It is to
teach our children to think beyond themselves, to be kind, to be compassionate,
and to become a productive member of the society in which we all live. It is
our responsibility to teach them to be responsible, thoughtful, and
self-sufficient. These things can’t be taught by words alone, but by example.
Look around, people. We are FAILING as
parents. We have an influx of
disrespectful, unfocused, entitled, non-driven, irresponsible cry-baby bullies
entering into adulthood. They are handicapped and their path to success is
greatly diminished because they don’t possess the basic skills to reach success,
and they blame the world for their failure. Those skills were never honed and
developed in their formative years due to coddling and excuses and
laziness. We have a society of enablers
and addicts, and I’m not just talking about drugs. We have an epidemic of emotional and
psychological diseases and the biggest is called “excuses”. And how do we help
the helpless? How do you set boundaries
and expectations in preparations for a harsh world? The world is HARD. The world is SELFISH. The world doesn’t give a shit what you’ve
been through or how you feel. To succeed
in this world, you have to WANT to succeed and then FIGHT for it. How the hell can we expect a society of
crybabies to fight for anything when they have no respect for themselves, for
the world around them, or the parents that raised them? That respect isn’t going to just magically
appear. No, they will be spoiled,
disrespectful bratty adults as they enter the work force. They are and will remain bullies. You don’t have to be a bigger kid picking on
a smaller kid to be a bully. You just
have to be mean, manipulative, and selfish and cause hardship to someone else
by abuse of power or position or manipulation. These same childish bullies
remain the same disrespectful bullies as adults in the workplace and society.
Believe me, they don’t see themselves as bullies. Bullying doesn’t just happen
on the playground; it happens in the workplace, at the club, at the gym, on the
streets, etc. There are parents bullied by their disrespectful children. There
are teachers bullied by their undisciplined students. There are employees
bullied by bad employers. Bullying has no preference, it’s an equal opportunity
offender.
I’m not a big girl. I may have a
big ass, but I’m not physically intimidating by any means. But, let me see bullying, and meanness, and
manipulation, and gossip, and my dark passenger comes active in a protective
way. I’m considered a bitch because I
speak my mind and I speak the truth, especially in the shadows of manipulation.
It often costs me, because most people are afraid to speak the truth, because
they’re afraid to face the costs. The
costs are NEVER fair.
I believe with my whole heart -
that IN truth darkness can’t dwell, and prosper, and be successful. Abuse ALWAYS happens behind closed doors, in
secret whispers, and on the flapping lips and itching ears of Gossips. It
spreads like an infectious disease among the weak and small-minded. Want to
recognize a bully? Be quiet and listen – because they often speak the loudest,
and the longest, and they move like a tumbleweed blowing whichever way the wind
takes them. They feel emboldened and
justified by their decisions and behaviors and have that constant need to be
acknowledged, receive that pat on the back for all their accomplishments, even
those not of their own making, yet taking credit for all the work. They don’t
like to be questioned. Confidence
doesn’t mind questions, but Insecurity deems them a threat.
So, I stand up to bullies. I speak
for the weak. I speak for truth, even if
it hurts. Truth is the only thing that
sets us free. So, again – I may not wear
a cape – but I stand up.
Till next time,
~T.L. Gray
