Everyone knows that most of the difficult challenges you face throughout your life paves your future and enhances your strength and understanding towards life. It really is a blessing, though it can be hard to see during the difficult time. Who would have thought that bullying was much the same? Bullying and racism is among the saddest yet longest lasting forms of oppression many still face today. Some of the kindest people, the best people from many generations faced it and though it is an awfully cruel thing and catches much awareness nowadays, it is still far too common.
Growing up, from birth until I was 17 years old, I lived in a community housing development and was fairly poor. Poor in monetary assets that is. This never bothered me, of course I never really understood the differentiation in monetary assets that made us any different from one another. Growing up in my neighborhood it was like a community where everyone knew everybody and spent time together outside for hours a day. The neighborhood and area definitely had some trouble though. The drama, addictions, broken families, violence and some bad influences opened our eyes to seeing some unfortunate situations and hardships at young ages.
I also grew up listening to lots of types of songs. Mainly rap and hip hop among the most. I guess a lot of us in the neighborhood did because we related or knew someone that could relate to a majority of lyrics. (Original rap of course)
Fast forward to me at 17 years old, my youngest brother didn’t have the greatest influence and started getting into quite some trouble. That’s when my parents made the decision to move over to the Quebec side where we can afford a home and possibly a better influence and future for their kids.
Changing high schools for a 17-year-old, going into grade 11 was a very hard transition. I had all my friends in Hillcrest High School who I had great memories with for two years and now had to go to a new school where I knew absolutely no one. In Quebec at the time, you graduate high school in grade 11, so I knew I only had the one year there to focus on my studies and finish school. I didn’t think it was going to be too bad. I ate alone for the first few days and weeks but eventually started making a few friends.
I dressed a little bit differently from the rest of this school. Philemon Wright. I liked wearing jerseys, timberland boots and even snap backs. I didn’t exactly fit in and the fact that I listened to rap music as well, made me very dissimilar.
There was a group of girls, I guess what most would consider “the popular girls” of school that seemed to not like me right from the beginning. Could have been that I was different or I dressed a little bit more “ghetto” then they were used to, or maybe even jealousy because I was also pretty and received attention for being new. Whatever it was, I didn’t enjoy it at all but I also didn’t change my style or who I was. The girls would make weekly and daily comments and get others to make comments or bully me in many ways that made it hard, anxious and unsettling to go into school daily. Though a few teachers were aware of the situation, they only pushed me to focus on my studies and ignore their behaviour. This is how it was dealt with I guess, so that is exactly what I did. That entire year I ignored them the best I could, hoping they will eventually give up and once I was done school I wouldn’t have to deal with it anymore.
End of school year finally came and we had our graduation photos. I chose to not write a grad write up because I didn’t have too many memories within that school to share over the past year. Pictures were taken and finally the last week of school arrives and yearbooks come out. I went to go look at my picture as anyone does when they receive their yearbook, and all I saw in big block letters, as big as my name was written read “Representin the ghetto”. My heart dropped. What I didn’t realize was that the couple of girls, in particular (Andrea- who happens to work for the House of Commons now & Amy) were on the yearbook committee. I felt so many emotions but embarrassment was the main one. Every single person in the school receiving this yearbook has a copy of it saying this. How did the school not review it before publishing and printing them? I fumed and confronted the girls then walked myself into the principal’s office in rage to show what has happened. Sadly, nothing was done, not by the principal, not by the school, not even an apology letter.
Though I tried focusing on the friends I do have, with all honesty it hurt and bothered me quite a bit. It took time to moved passed it but I later learned that it was a part of building me and my strength toward the person I am today. I also learned that this behaviour from outsiders doesn’t define who I am but who those bullies are.
Bullying is supposed to be frowned upon today, yet it goes unnoticed or disregarded far too often still. Bullying is very tough to deal with and I wish we can eliminate it all together but it will unfortunately continue and for that reason all we can do is accept it as a form of hardship that strengthens us to know we can overcame it, we are above it and that every single one of those bullies is unhappy with themselves and portraying that anger or hatred towards you or another person. Do not change a thing about yourself to make them like you, be authentic.
