For all of these following reasons, I was perpetually bullied.
I was the tallest and most developed child, boy or girl, in my grade, until I reached high school and others began to catch up. I matured early, wearing a bra by the time I was 9. I had visible hair under my arms that my mother wouldn't let me shave because she thought I was too young. (I say any kid old enough to have the hair is old enough to shave it. I finally convinced her to let me shave, by pointing out that the other kids laughed every time I raised my hand in class.)
I had a name (which I changed as an adult) that was easy to turn into a joke, and bucked teeth (since straightened) that made it nearly impssible to chew with my mouth closed. If I placed my thumb tip against my bottom teeth, the two center top teeth reached all the way to the knuckle.
My family was very poor. Most of my clothes were second-hand, some having belonged to great-aunts or elderly neighbors, and thus they were out of step with what kids my age wore. To save on utilities and supplies, we were limited to one bath a week, the two boys together and the two girls together, taking turns in the same water. I was surprised to learn, in fifth grade, that actually you should bathe every day. When I took this radical new information home to my mother, she answered, "Well, that's fine if you can afford the soap, and the shampoo, and the hot water...."
Our household rules were stricter than the norm. Earlier bedtimes, closer supervision. All of this led to taunts of being a baby when I wasn't allowed to go out and participate socially. Our family was also riddled with alcoholism, with the resultant secrecy, though the neighbors knew something was wrong when they would see police cars in our driveway.
On top of everything else, we were constantly moving from state to state. I went to 20 different schools before I finally graduated, and therefore as the perpetual new kid I stood out even more. Kids who stand out in *any* way are bully magnets, and here I stood out in so many!
Adults would usually tell me to "just ignore it" or "don't let it bother you." Eventually I learned that this really meant, "I'm ignoring it, so don't bother me." Joking back didn't work because anything I said was twisted around and used for another put-down.
But if I were to do anything at all to defend myself--bare my teeth or claws in any way--instantly *I* became the bully. "You're so much bigger than he is!"
Therefore the chihuahuas were free to bite at the mastiff's ankles all they wanted. The mastiff couldn't bite back.
I was the tallest and most developed child, boy or girl, in my grade, until I reached high school and others began to catch up. I matured early, wearing a bra by the time I was 9. I had visible hair under my arms that my mother wouldn't let me shave because she thought I was too young. (I say any kid old enough to have the hair is old enough to shave it. I finally convinced her to let me shave, by pointing out that the other kids laughed every time I raised my hand in class.)
I had a name (which I changed as an adult) that was easy to turn into a joke, and bucked teeth (since straightened) that made it nearly impssible to chew with my mouth closed. If I placed my thumb tip against my bottom teeth, the two center top teeth reached all the way to the knuckle.
My family was very poor. Most of my clothes were second-hand, some having belonged to great-aunts or elderly neighbors, and thus they were out of step with what kids my age wore. To save on utilities and supplies, we were limited to one bath a week, the two boys together and the two girls together, taking turns in the same water. I was surprised to learn, in fifth grade, that actually you should bathe every day. When I took this radical new information home to my mother, she answered, "Well, that's fine if you can afford the soap, and the shampoo, and the hot water...."
Our household rules were stricter than the norm. Earlier bedtimes, closer supervision. All of this led to taunts of being a baby when I wasn't allowed to go out and participate socially. Our family was also riddled with alcoholism, with the resultant secrecy, though the neighbors knew something was wrong when they would see police cars in our driveway.
On top of everything else, we were constantly moving from state to state. I went to 20 different schools before I finally graduated, and therefore as the perpetual new kid I stood out even more. Kids who stand out in *any* way are bully magnets, and here I stood out in so many!
Adults would usually tell me to "just ignore it" or "don't let it bother you." Eventually I learned that this really meant, "I'm ignoring it, so don't bother me." Joking back didn't work because anything I said was twisted around and used for another put-down.
But if I were to do anything at all to defend myself--bare my teeth or claws in any way--instantly *I* became the bully. "You're so much bigger than he is!"
Therefore the chihuahuas were free to bite at the mastiff's ankles all they wanted. The mastiff couldn't bite back.
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