My Story

Posted: 4/26/2013

I've been bullied all throughout school; from elementary school to even college. I was born with Neurofibromatosis, which made me have a mild speech impediment, not being able to do as well in PE class, and I also had a larger head than other kids. I was mocked & teased me for how I talked, ran, and even for my head. Starting from a young age, I didn't have many friends in school at all. I would even try befriending new kids the day they came to the school, but within a day or two, bullies would jump in and tell them lies about me which made them not want to be my friend anymore. Sometimes bullies would purposely hide my bag or shoes/boots. Once someone even stole my bike helmet.

Entering high school, I lost several of my friends for no reason at all; including friends I had known since I was about 4 or 5 years old. I wasn't popular at all, even though I never did anything wrong to anyone, and I would volunteer in the community a lot; such as at the animal shelter and the church's summer program for kids. My "friends" would let their "popularity" get to them and would simply not want to be associated with me. Even in high school I would try befriending new students, but it would end up not working out. I would even be talking to people who I thought were my friends, and someone would come up to them and literally say "You're friends with Jeremy?! You're not going to get a girl if you stay friends with him you know." My "friends" in those cases wouldn't defend me. So I was betrayed multiple times; by both guys and girls. Because of all of this, I became extremely shy. I was so shy I would be too afraid to do anything if a chance at a potential girlfriend came my way. One girl in grade 10 even tried to ask me out. When she asked me "Are you doing anything this weekend?", I shrugged on instinct. She knew I kind of liked her, and before that day I had a suspicion she liked me but no one else seemed to have picked up on it. I didn't want to hurt her and see people turn on her then have her feel what I've had to put up with.

In college I thought it would all end; I was wrong. For a business project I was stuck with two guys that didn't want to pull their own weight. I later found out one convinced the other not to do anything for it just so *I* would have a very bad mark on it. I tried talking to the instructor about it, but she actually didn't do anything about it. I failed the course because of the project, and I had to take some of my summer break to retake it, but luckily with a different teacher and much different class.

To end my story, I would just like to say you are never alone. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you're being bullied. The bullies win when the victims stay silent. You are not weak if you tell someone; the act of bullying of any kind is weak.

By: Jeremy