Work Text:
Reflection
I have never really been what you could call “bullied”, by any measure honestly, not by age or gender or race or social class. If any of those moments I am currently trying to recall could actually count as “bullying” then I suppose for me they were minor and did not have too much of a negative impact on my self-esteem. But for the sake of this journal, I will mention one particular incident that stands out the most, albeit how non-significant I personally find it. For one, I count it as mere child’s play. It was back in seventh grade, in physical education class to be precise. The time of the year had come to switch into the new sport of the curriculum: soccer. As you could guess, I was raised a soccer player, followed soccer news, and breathed soccer air. That peculiarity, however, apparently did not seem to sit well with a sizeable group of classmates. They, on the other hand, were true only to basketball, and football, and gatorball, and baseball, and basically any other type of –ball sport besides soccer. Once my peculiarity was made known to them, as they dispassionately participated in such a dreaded sport, I believe it is adequate to speculate that they unanimously resolved to make my passion the object of their contempt. We could say, they were more or less, rough with their sportsmanship as bountiful attempts were made at “taking the ball away from me”. My legs had never been so popular as they were in those days. It was a wonder I did not come out crippled that year. As I would today, believe it or not, my reaction was that of grand amusement and an empowered pride. Nicknames like “the Soccer Kid” did little to stop me from playing even harder than I normally did, although it was evidently not necessary to do so, for they were not much acquainted with the sport. I did not fight fire with fire, nor repaid foul for foul, but I simply entertained their mockings and their jokes. I finished that season alive and well, enjoyed my exercise, and scored more goals than I (or they) cared to count. Situationally speaking, I think all that “bullying” turned out all right.