I guess I was bullied in high school and since I’m old enough that I don’t believe the term even existed, let’s just say I was picked on.
And so I hold a special affinity for those that are treated really in any different way.
But call it what you want I hold a novel view so having faced somewhat of that attitude when barely a teenager, when my daughter told me she felt my grandson might be badgered in such a manner I certainly was immediately sympathetic.
But first how in my mind the different way I feel I was treated.
I was a big guy early on – actually fat – and I suppose that made me an easy target.
And being a late bloomer both with scholastic and athletic abilities and probably lacking self confidence everything was there.
I have never really talked about it but do so first to make a target aware not to let any bully or bullies for that matter get away with it and to make parents and teachers alike to watch for telltale signs of such treatment so it is dealt with.
My parents are both long gone and I’ve never told my children so here’s my platform all these years later.
I attended Gonzaga Prep in Spokane and because of a hip injury sustained in grade school started my freshman year without the eighth grade which left me with little foundation pretty much in all phases – thus an easy target.
A prep school is a different animal in itself, as I am sure you can imagine, and since I attended a public school for seventh grade, then missing eighth, I had few friends.
Academically I was nowhere close to being ready for such a college-prep honors course that included the social and natural sciences, four years of Latin and two of Greek incorporated with general studies.
I confess how a student with 2 F’s and 3 D’s managed to stay in school after first semester still amazes me but that’s another story.
And it got no better, eventually graduating with a 1.79, 133 out of 166 graduating boys. Geez how do I even remember that?
So just why I feel I was bullied – enough to say I was nicknamed Moo and the rest – well stay tuned from 53 years ago,
Just sayin
