Teasing vs. Bullying

Who didn't get teased as a kid?

I did. I got teased for having big lips. Yep. I got called bubba-lips, Bubbalicious, etc. I never, like wanted surgery or anything, but I would constantly bend my lips back into my mouth. And I think I was a little delayed in wearing lipstick because I didn't want my lips to be anymore noticable.

Now? Oh I get "ohhh your lips are so sexy" all the time.

Was anyone ever bullied? I think I was.

Another thing I got teased about was having long hair, as if that is something you can tease someone about. When I was in the second grade, these older kids would come up to me and pull my ponytails (I usually wore 2, no more than 4) really, REALLY hard. And swing my head from side to side. It was always after school, when there weren't many adults around as I walked to after school care. This one heffa in particular I remember well. Her name was Kimberly W. She would tease me about my lips, but she had what I can only describe as a physically big mouth. Like, she had big teeth, big black gums. She was unattractive as a 3rd grader, but I'm sure she's probably a nice looking adult. But her big thing was my hair. I guess she didn't like me having long ponytails. Thing was, her hair was shiny, well-kept, in curls, etc. I mean her head wasn't jacked up. At that time, my mom was still doing my hair and I was NOT ALLOWED to wear my hair "out." I could only wear braided ponytails. If she was feeling fancy, she would actually curl the ponytails, a treat for me.

So, everyday after school I would see her. We went to the same after care place. I hated that place, but that' another post. And everyday, she would yank my ponytails really, really hard until I had a headache. One day, she pulled my ponytail holder (you know the ones with the balls on each end) so hard that it ended up dangling off the ends of my hair.

Maybe once an adult caught her pulling my hair. But I didn't tell anyone, I don't know why. She did it like every day and every day I dreaded after school. I think I wanted to be "cool." That was my first year at that school, I already had a funny name, I didn't celebrate Christmas, and I was the best reader in my grade. The chips were stacked against me in this second grade popularity contest!

Well one day this big fifth grader...let's just call her Neicy...Saw Kim pulling my hair. She stopped and asked me why was I letting this girl pull my hair. I shrugged. Next thing I new, Neicy had shoved Kim on the ground. "You betta stop lettin people mess wit' you like dat!" Neicy told me.

Kim didn't bother me anymore. Thanks Neicy!