For me, the transition to high school wasn’t bad because Grade 8 was so hellific for me. I was in a new school for Grade 8, and all my friends who had grown up with my idiosyncrasies were gone. By Christmas I was on anti-inflammatories for my stomach, and the doctor wanted to give me tranquilizers as he said I was too uptight (being singled out, ridiculed, bullied, taunted for the way I spoke, walked, dressed, looked will do that to you–but I was a quiet reserved very shy kid who wouldn’t even eat lunch if people were around, and I never told my parents what I was going through). I missed a great deal of school.

There were a few teachers who were also bullies, and one would berate me in class or single me out even when not berating me (“Did you know that, Andrews?”). One teacher was understanding though, he was young and had the great 70s hair and moustache going, and he was very supportive (thank you, Mr. Richards–you have no idea how far a kind word went with me).

I was dreading going into high school, and vomited that morning at the bus stop. Grade 9 was bad, but not as bad as Grade 8. More people, better able to hide, and I learned how to blend in so I didn’t stand out. I avoided every single sporting and social event where a crowd would be (because the bullies were always in the middle of sports and social events and took great delight in humiliating me in front of a larger audience when they had a chance).

Eventually I made it, ended up in a small university where the students were mainly Christians and as such, were very supportive and loving–I must have appeared as pretty damaged goods to them, and they really looked after me. My oldest friends now are some of those people and I will never forget their kindness. It is what probably kept me from going down a much darker road.

So hang on, Jonah, and others. It is hard, really hard. There’s so much I want to tell you about what is coming though, the things you don’t want to miss, the things that will make you glad to be alive and damn proud of the person you became under all that pressure (let it make you stronger, more compassionate, give you resolve to stand up for others, to stand against the bullies, to not just be a bystander watching things happen to others).

Sounds so trite. sigh. Things get better. Really, they do. I wouldn’t have believed it. It felt like an eternity. My stomach still is easily inflammed. But things get better.

I’m gonna post this with another pseudonym since I often post comments around the blogosphere and I don’t want stuff this personal being attached to my regular pseudonym (I value my privacy even if it is privacy of a pseudonym).

The point of the video was to evoke an emotional response. Granted, it did fail in that regard with me, for the reason I mentioned: it’s a known fake. It didn’t directly address the other major point of your article; namely, you’re gullible and lazy.

Also, you should entertain the idea of learning the difference than and then, if only to make ‘thoughts’ seem slightly less dimwitted.

I’ve left comments on all of two posts you’ve written, one here and one at FFTB. Clearly, it’s not my intent to ‘regular[ly]’ post here, or there.

When you say video games, you should say job. In other words, you’re trying to throw shit my way for being precisely not like you: having a job that pays really good money and lets me be a kid professionally.

Now, try not to spend my tax money on something stupid. =^_^=

I’m glad to see that you still religiously read my site. but I would prefer it if you did not comment here on a regular basis. You are not welcome.

But thanks for pointing that out. Now run along back to your video games.