Life is short. It goes like a dream. One day you open your eyes and you are just a kid. The next day you open them and find out that you have grown up. Where did all those years go? No one told you that time was passing. It is quite ironic to think that we spent most of our childhood dreaming of the day we would become adults;however, once we turn 18 we are crying because of the lost time.
I just turned 17 this week. People keep pestering me of how it feels to be one year near full age. I, honestly, find no difference between being seventeen or eighteen. Apart from the fact that I can be easily arrested at eighteen, there are no differences between this two ages.
Lately, I have been thinking of the reasons why I suddenly stopped wanting to grow up so desperately. However, every time I think about it, my mind always goes to the same issue: Bullying. I guess bullying is the responsible of why I changed my childhood dreams. It made me realize that growing up was more than being able to drive your own car and being a late sleeper.
When I lived in El Salvador, I met two of the most amazing people in the world. Their names were Andrea and Angel. For some, they had nothing special. They were not popular, nor extraordinarily attractive. People looked down on them, not realizing their full potential.
Being in a new school with all kind of different people was hard. I was not accepted easily into the group. No one noticed me. Yet, Angel and Andrea did. Andrea was a straight A student. She was the teacher's favorite-reason why people tended to dislike her a bit. Angel, on the other hand, had been bullied his whole life at school. He was mocked, pushed around, and even physically assaulted by my classmates. I sometimes ask my self how was he able to survive eleven years without someone to rely on.
When I first met, Angel something clicked - it was like we were both destined to know each other. I was shy and could barely interact with people outside my family circle; Angel was not that different from me. He had grown up in a home were values and strong Christian principles were taught-just like me. This of course was considered out of place by my peers. It wasn't a great surprise when we turned into bullying targets.
People would hid our notebooks or push us in the corridors. They would nag us of how we would end up together because no one else would want to be with us. We would sit alone in the cafeteria. It was like the pest, no one would go any close to us. Why? Because people told them not to. The only reason people would talk with us was to ask for our homework so they could copy it.
I remember each time I asked my Heavenly Father why did all those bad thing happened. I mean, Angel and I tried to stand up to our principles. We weren't doing anything wrong. Yet, being a Mormon or being a gentleman was wrong for our classmates.
At school, I would put a straight face on and pretended that noting was wrong; however, every morning was a torture. Angel was the only reason why I went to school. He had slowly changed his personal view on himself. He started realizing that he wasn't useless. Someone really cared for him. With time, his enthusiasm concerning his new discovery became contagious. I started realizing that I too wasn't useless. I had a friend, didn't I?
Gradually, we started to defend ourselves. People became nuts when it happened. They pushed us harder, but the harder they pushed the stronger we became. Soon, Andrea joined our fight. We were the three musketeers. In a way, it was like 'Us against the world'.
Now, that I'm back to my home country, I can't lie and say that I have left my bulling experience behind. There are some things I still have to come into terms with. However, life is much easier and happier now that I know of what I'm capable of doing. I have two new siblings. Without them I probably wouldn't have survived high school. But, more importantly, if it had not been because of God, nor Angel or Andrea would have been put into my life. Somehow, I know that bulling was necessary for my personal growth. God knew it, and now I know it too.
For those that are currently being bullied, don't give up. You are precious children of our Heavenly Father. He loves you and will do anything to save you. He did it with me. Don't give up on the future. It may seem dark, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
Smile. Don't worry. Because every little thing is gonna be alright.
-Leslie :)
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