Graduation

May 5, 2012 5:55 a.m. I wake up to get ready for my graduation.
May 5, 2012 9:15 a.m. After Mother Nature thoroughly whooped my ass, I walk into my graduation. Late.
I am the last person to walk. I rather enjoyed being last because everyone claps the loudest for the last person. They are all thinking "Thank God it's finally over!"
So now, I'm back home, unemployed, and  trying to think outside the box for job options. But I don't want to talk about that right now.
It actually hasn't really hit me yet that I've graduated. Maybe it's because I've been expecting it for a long time. Or maybe the build-up was released with the rest of my insides. Honestly, I wasn't feeling well so I couldn't even really enjoy my graduation. I couldn't bask in my accomplishments because I felt so shitty. By the time I got up on stage I was feeling a lot better and was able to revel in all the applause.
Frankly, graduations are boring. I've had to sit through 2 where I was participating and 2 where I was watching my friends graduate. It doesn't  make a lick of difference. It's boring. It's exciting for like the 2 seconds where you or your friend are called and they walk across the stage, but then it's over.
 Anyways, as I walked across the stage I hoped that this would not be the last time in my life where I would hear my name called, people would cheer, and I'd walk across a stage to accept some award, preferably a Tony.
Maybe it'll hit me when I don't go back to school in the fall the way I've done for the past 19 years. I think I've been ready to graduate for a long time even though when other people were counting down the days left until the end of the semester I would freak out a little (or a lot). I know now as I knew then I was freaking out because of the whole job situation, not because I was actually graduating. At some point in time, I had come to grips with that. It's the logical conclusion to this stage in my life. But of course I'm graduating. I kind of wish I had some other reaction, but I don't have any regrets and I think that's why I'm not freaking out. I met a lot of really cool people, I took a lot of interesting classes, and had some amazing experiences that I will treasure. What else is there? It all goes back to 'I was ready to graduate, and it was time'. The one time I felt a twinge of sadness was when we were driving through town to get to the highway. I thought of the friends I was leaving behind that I won't be able to see for a long time. I don't know when I'll be able to go back to that little college town and see the natives, see how much it's changed, and as a consequence, how much I've changed.

On Bullying

As of late schools have been taking tougher measures against bullying because of the recent increased in bullying related suicides. While the suicides are terrible losses of young lives and heartbreaking to their families it doesn't have to be this way.

Bullying will always happen. No matter what kind of measures are taken, they will not solve the problem. Well meaning parents and teachers are only in fact doing more harm than good. The human soul is a lot more resilient than we admit or realize. By not teaching kids how to effectively deal with bullying, they are missing out on important life lessons.

1. How to be assertive


2. How to resolve problems with different people


3. How to let things go


4. How to forgive


5. How to not let things hurt you


6. Judgement of character


7. Being the bigger person


8. How to help others


9. Standing up and defending what they believe to be right

I was bullied from 4th grade through 8th grade. Even in high school I wasn't the most popular person. By that point, I didn't care anymore because I had grown some thicker skin and had learned to just ignore them and go about my business. Yes, there were many times when I'd cry about how mean people were to me when I was in middle school. But I survived. I didn't kill myself, I didn't do drugs or cut myself because I was bullied. Let's face it, school is not only for learning reading, writing, and arithmetic but it's also where kids learn how to function in society. This is not to put the responsibility solely on the teachers and schools. This is where PARENTING comes in. It is the parents' responsibility to teach their kids their ideas of right and wrong. But as the proverb goes "practice makes perfect" and school is for kids to implement these morals, practice them, be exposed to others' morals, and mold their own ideas as to what is right and wrong. Yes, fights happen, people don't get along. What is war but large scale bullying? That's why there is diplomacy in politics. We are disservicing our kids by not teaching them how to be diplomatic and how to solve problems amongst their peers at an early age. Only then will the bullying problem be attacked at the root as opposed to the branches.

If you are being bullied- Talk to your parents, a trusted teacher, or the school counselor. Tell them about the problem and ask for ways to solve it and try solving it yourself. If that fails then it's ok to ask for help.

If you know of someone being bullied- DO NOT STAY QUIET!!! Violence usually escalates and if caught early tragedies can be avoided. Be observant and if you notice anything please say something to a teacher, a parent, or the school counselor. You could wind up saving someone's life.

If you are the bully- Ask yourself "Why does this person make me angry?" If you are having issues at home, or with friends, talk to someone about them. You're hurting too and you need help too but that doesn't give you any kind of right to hurt someone.