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Have you ever been bullied by someone? Almost
everyone in the world has been teased or bullied in their
life. I remember a time in the first grade when I was teased
because of my last name. My last name is Little, and those
that bullied me were relentless. As a young child, I wished
so much that I could change my last name to Smith or Johnson
just so the bullies would leave me
alone. Most people have felt something similar to those things
that I was feeling at the time. Bullies leave marks of shame,
embarrassment, and low self esteem on their victims.
As I was ridiculed for my last name, I became
very ashamed of it. I hated telling people my full name because
I felt that if they knew my last name, they would judge me
and tease me for it. I began to have feelings of jealousy
toward my friends who had last names like Anderson or Hall.
I would have done anything to switch names with them.
In addition to feeling ashamed, I sometimes
harbored feelings of embarrassment. When I was asked what
my full name was, I would proudly proclaim my first name and
shyly mutter my last. I was very embarrassed to let others
know my full name. Even though they probably wouldn’t
have said anything, I still felt as though they might exclude
me in some way or another solely for the reason that my last
name was Little. I began asking people to just call me Janet.
Soon the shame and embarrassment that I
felt led to me becoming very critical of myself. I began to
tear myself down in every aspect. It was no longer just my
last name that bothered me. I hated the way I talked and the
way I walked. Although the bullies might not have thought
much about it when they were teasing me, their words were
like daggers to my self esteem.
Bullies leave marks of shame, embarrassment,
and low self esteem on their victims. Most bullies aren’t
fully aware of the pain caused from their words and actions.
In some situations, the effects are life altering. Fortunately,
I’ve come to terms with the pain my bullies caused me,
and I’m now able to laugh with those that laugh at my
last name.
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