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In a discussion of high school, and reunions, and that sort of thing:
There are a few of the freaks who defended me that I remember fondly, but overall, I have no interest in being in contact with the vast majority of the people I went to high school with.
My experience really varied over time -- in elementary school I was big enough to be the person who beat up the boys who picked on the girls, and I had a tendency ever since that to be a "defender" of sorts. At summer camps and other "away from home" events I generally did well with making friends, although almost always chose the other freaks and outcasts. My biggest problems were in public school, when I moved to Davison in 8th grade. Being the new kid in the system as well as being a minister's kid and "the kid who skipped a grade" singled me out enough, even aside from my overwhelming geekiness. For a long time I wore weird as a shield, and that was semi-self-protective, and later on I physically confronted my harrassers (and won), which got them to back off substantially, but I'll never forget Michelle Hull throwing Jason Gist against a locker for messing with me in 8th grade, when I was too new and lacking in self-confidence to stand up for myself.
The experiences back then have a lot to do with how I handle clinic escorting now, both in terms of wanting to protect and stand with the women coming to the clinic, and in terms of how I perceive the bullying of the antis. I'm generally very good at maintaining my cool with them, and laughing at them a lot, largely because my primary experience with non-physical bullying was that failure to elicit a response and being mocked are two of the more effective tactics for making them utterly batshit.
I still have a few sore hot-buttons about the crap back then, but overall I was very fortunate. I had a family who believed me when bullying happened, and who stood up for me when necessary and appropriate. I had friends who'd often dealt with the same crap themselves, I had activities that allowed social interaction without bullies (Science Olympiad, Quiz Bowl, etc) and friends/protectors amongst what I fondly recall as "the black leather crowd" who weren't ok with injustice and other bullshit. Similarly kind folks helped me through my awkward years at the beginning of college, too.
There are a few of the freaks who defended me that I remember fondly, but overall, I have no interest in being in contact with the vast majority of the people I went to high school with.
My experience really varied over time -- in elementary school I was big enough to be the person who beat up the boys who picked on the girls, and I had a tendency ever since that to be a "defender" of sorts. At summer camps and other "away from home" events I generally did well with making friends, although almost always chose the other freaks and outcasts. My biggest problems were in public school, when I moved to Davison in 8th grade. Being the new kid in the system as well as being a minister's kid and "the kid who skipped a grade" singled me out enough, even aside from my overwhelming geekiness. For a long time I wore weird as a shield, and that was semi-self-protective, and later on I physically confronted my harrassers (and won), which got them to back off substantially, but I'll never forget Michelle Hull throwing Jason Gist against a locker for messing with me in 8th grade, when I was too new and lacking in self-confidence to stand up for myself.
The experiences back then have a lot to do with how I handle clinic escorting now, both in terms of wanting to protect and stand with the women coming to the clinic, and in terms of how I perceive the bullying of the antis. I'm generally very good at maintaining my cool with them, and laughing at them a lot, largely because my primary experience with non-physical bullying was that failure to elicit a response and being mocked are two of the more effective tactics for making them utterly batshit.
I still have a few sore hot-buttons about the crap back then, but overall I was very fortunate. I had a family who believed me when bullying happened, and who stood up for me when necessary and appropriate. I had friends who'd often dealt with the same crap themselves, I had activities that allowed social interaction without bullies (Science Olympiad, Quiz Bowl, etc) and friends/protectors amongst what I fondly recall as "the black leather crowd" who weren't ok with injustice and other bullshit. Similarly kind folks helped me through my awkward years at the beginning of college, too.
