What were you called when you were younger? How do you feel about it?
When I was very small I was called Jimmy. In school there was another Jimmy in my class so the teacher asked what I wanted to be called, Jim or James. I said James. When I was in my 20s I felt James was too formal and I've gone by Jim ever since. It's weird to connect with old class mates on Facebook and to hear them still call me as James. I was a whole other person back then.
But that's all superficial.
A named I was called when I was younger was "gay". It was said with disgust, loathing and kids were just being the typical bully. But it affected me and how I grew up. I already had low self-esteem issues and this just added to it. I was just trying to fit in and cope the best I could. I would go to church with my family, I would do my best in school, I had a girlfriend in junior high and high school... so why was I picked on? A lot has been said about kids being bullies. A lot has come up lately about kids being teased and picked on for being gay. I hope attitudes change. I hope society changes. I hope organized religions change so that someone can be themselves without fear of being picked on! Or even worse, a victim of hate crimes.
It takes one person at a time to change. It takes us all to stand up to society to tell them that this behavior is not OK.
4 comments:
Jim, I want to answer, but your question has brought me so much pain and bad memories I just can't. How crazy is that? I'm 44 years old and you just reduced me to a weeping child.
awwwwww, cubby! (pats you on the back)
my parents called me "stupid". my teachers said "you will never amount to much".
sometimes you own flesh and blood can be the bullies.
FUCK THEM ALL - I am happy with myself, I am who I am, I love myself!
Try growing up with the name "Chris" and being less-than-athletic.
Chrissy, sissy, prissy, sissy, missy, kissy, the list goes on.
It got so bad that in second grade I changed my name to Bill.
Jim, I think I was called just about all of them that are related to a smart, strange, gay boy. You would think that the physical abuse I suffered from other kids would be the longest lasting thing I remember, but the verbal abuse stuck with me much longer.
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