Be Proud of Yourself

The nation has been stunned by the recent teen suicides that have been caused by bullying. Depressed, troubled teens who feel alone and degraded feel that there is no other way to live than to not live at all. The stories of teens around the nation have really made me feel sad and reflective upon my own experiences. I was once a victim of bullying and I was once someone who did consider suicide. I have never attempted to kill myself, but the thought has crossed my mind many times in my life. This topic really struck me when I read an article about my hometown and Alma mater, Mentor High School. There have been multiple cases of students who have been bullied and have taken their own lives.

The bottom line is this: Teenagers are cruel. Most adolescents are immature, shallow and know little about the world beyond their hometowns. This closed-minded view of the world causes teenagers to mock what is unfamiliar or different. If I could give any advice to ANYONE who is a victim of torment, talk to someone. The solution to my bully was changing my schedule. My classes were changed so that I didn't have to interact with those individuals who ridiculed me. I also took pride in myself. After high school, I went to college and really discovered the person and adult I wanted to be. And at the end of the day, when you are being yourself, people see it and they appreciate it. When you are honest to the person you are, people will respect it. If they don't, who cares! You only have one life to live and nobody can do the things u do but u. Appreciate the gifts you have been given and know that you were put on this earth to make history. Don't let anyone stop you from being a superstar. Let nobody tell u to be anything but urself. And don't let anybody make you feel like you aren't worth walking on this earth. Because to be honest, the people who are bringing others down will end up doing nothing with their lives anyway. You will look back at high school ten years from now and realize that those people who made you feel worthless will become worthless themselves. Hang in there. Talk about how you're feeling and know that you're not alone.

For more on the article about bullies in Mentor, click HERE