No Small Feat

Purple Power!

Today is Spirit Day where individuals are asked to show their support for victims of bullies by wearing purple. I say it is about time the nation stand up and take notice of exactly how damaging bullying can be... and with the recent suicides of several victims of bullying, how dangerous.

I was the victim of bullying. I imagine people didn't really make much of it. They made fun of my hair, height, overall appearance, said I'm ugly, not worthy of talking to, isolated in the classroom, my BFF suddenly walking away from our friendship in 6th grade because the popular kids liked her and I was a liability. 

All of that happened to me - and then some.  And I kept it ALL inside and was hospitalized at the ages of 9 and 11 for stomach issues that were never diagnosed. Pardon the pun, but my gut tells me that it was a physical reaction to my emotional stress. I distinctly remember thinking about suicide in my early teen years and also began using drugs about the age of 13. 

So. This is not just a gay/lesbian student issue, though that is the focus and I have no problem with that. But, ultimately, this is a call of support for ALL victims of bullying. 

Below is a video of Enimem's that spotlights the bully/victim relationship.  Below the video is a portion of the lyrics of the song. I love it because it tells the bully to go f*ck himself (or herself). Empowerment is the best anticdote. Let's help these children become empowered!

It's a little too late to say that you're sorry now
You kicked me when I was down
Fuck what you say, just (don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more)
That's right bitch: and I don't need you, don't want to see you
Bitch you get (no love)
You show me nothing but hate
You ran me into the ground
But what comes around goes around
I don't need you (don't hurt me)
You (don't hurt me no more)
That's right, and I don't need you, don't want to see you
You get (no love)
Bitch you get (no love)
And I don't need you

The Inner Voice

 

I just finished reading Speak, a novel by Laurie Halse Anderson about a 14 year old girl named Melinda who is an outcast in high school after an incident that occurred over the summer which I will not reveal here and spoil.  If you have not yet read this book, please do.  This book does not contain fairies, vampires, werewolves or angels. What it does contain is far more frightening as it brings you back into that intensely uncomfortable skin we may have worn as teenagers.

I sobbed at several parts of the book and, no, I did not have the same experience as Melinda but I did have the isolation, awkwardness, and loneliness.  I was bullied and made fun of relentlessly and I specifically remember being in the gymnasiam in elementary school where everyone was signing yearbooks and almost no one signed mine.

Which brings me to my last point. Bullies. I was bullied. They exist in every generation from the Cleavers to the world that our children currently live in.  I wish I could blink my eyes like a genie and make them all disappear, but I do not have that ability. What I can hopefully provide a child who thinks death is better than being bullied is this.... persepective:

All the kids who made fun of me in elementary school are now "Facebook friends."  We all casually keep up with each other's lives and all the hurts have been healed. And my primary bully is said to have somewhere around 5-6 daughters which I find to be perfect revenge for him.

Look for the signs in your own children that something is causing them to withdraw.  Please remember; it is just as important to listen to what your child does NOT say as what they do.

The Toy Story

Driving with my son to carpool is always entertaining. It is partly his personality - he just has a natural sense of humor - and partly his age and a 5 year old's view of the world. So this morning as I drove him to carpool he exclaimed that he wanted me to go "the other way." I inquired what way and he said he wanted to go back home. I responded that Mommy and Daddy would not be home to watch him. His response? "My toys will watch me." Really? He goes on...

"My toys will help me brush my teeth, eat food and be a good listener, Mommy.  I have a lot of toys to help me and they can help me make a big mess too."  At THAT I burst out in a fit of laughter that brought tears to my eyes as I said "Now THAT your toys are experts at helping you do!"

We arrived to carpool and he took off his seat belt and leaned forward to kiss my cheek before hopping out of the car and running excitedly through the door to begin his day, leaving me to drive to work with a smile and an ever grateful heart.

Birthday Boys

Our family had TWO birthdays in September. Why am I telling you about them in October?  Well because in between these two historic events I was "deathly" ill. No, really. Like I didn't even tweet for a week.  Let's recap:

The kids had a great plan for their father's birthday which included baking and decorating their own cake for him and also making his present instead of buying it. The time to do this coincided with my first getting sick so by the time we got to decorating the cake I was feeling so bad I had them doing it without assistance (hey! I took pictures): 

The "art deco it yourself" cake:

 

They also made these tie dye shirts all on their own for their Dad:

(Don't ask. He has taken to wearing this hat in the house)

Right after this it was time for our lil' man to turn FIVE years old with a blow-out party at Monkey Joe's. It was jam-packed with a whopping 24 children. It was truly a lot of fun. Here is the view from his blow-up king's chair in the party room:

 

Every year he chooses his cake and its theme. This year was Toy Story:

Now September has bid us adieu and we are looking to the Father/Daughter Dinner's and Mother/Son Halloween Dance, hay rides, petting zoos and pumpkin picking. Pumpkin decorating, pumpkin bread,  UGA football (please win a game), the WEEZER CONCERT and last, but certainly not least, collecting candy from strangers on the last day of the month.

Just wait until you see what my son and I will be for Halloween this year!

Stay tuned.... <3

Guilty Pleasure.

Remember when Johnny Depp was the kid in Nightmare on Elm Street who got sucked into his bed? Or maybe 21 Jump Street where he played the baby-faced narc?

Remember when Brad Pitt was the eye-candy in Thelma and Louise?

Those two actors who very easily could have been flash in the pan hotties are today well-respected actors who transformed careers from where they could have gone to where they now are: among the best actors in Hollywood; they did not rely on their looks and instead made career decisions that have given them respect and longevity in a fickle industry.

There is an actor in this generation that I truly believe fits that bill.  He is largely known as Jasper Hale (yes, my favorite vampire in the Twilight series) but I am writing about him here not because of that but because you all need to know this:

His name is Jackson Rathbone and at 25 years old he already has two major franchise films under his belt: The Twilight Series (which he OWNED in Eclipse) and the key role of Sokka in The Last Airbender film.

He had a guest starring role in one of the best Criminal Mind episodes, playing a character with multiple-personality disorder. I still say he should have received an Emmy nomination for it.

He is an incredibly diverse and talented musician that sings and plays a handful of instruments in his band 100 Monkeys. They are a fantastic improvisational band that is hard to define but worth a listen.  Named by Rolling Stone as one of the 5 new bands to watch.

He has his own production company which made the film Girlfriend.  This film was invited to be screened at the Toronto Film Festival and has received rave reviews thus far. Not only did he act in the film, but his band composed the entire score for the film. The film's official trailer for your enjoyment:

I would love for all of you to all read the launch issue of Troix Magazine, an online magazine that has featured Jackson and has really laid out all the reasons why you are not going to see Jackson on the cover of Teen Beat but today Troix and one day perhaps even Rolling Stone (who by the way did I mention named his band one of the 5 new bands to watch).

Like a vampire, it's a good thing Jackson Rathbone does not need to sleep because he has too much to do. Like take risks. Work toward his accomplishing his career goals by doing what he believes in, trusting his artistic instincts and entertaining us in various forms and fashions for many years to come.

Okay, okay... you've all been good to read to the bottom. Now that we've explored his talent we can all enjoy his, um... yeah:

Photo of Jackson Rathbone, taken by Lesley Bryce and seen in Troix Magazine. *collective sigh*