Jr. High Bullying

 In the 8th grade I was bullied by Cory.  I can't remember the kids last name.  I would stand there at my locker and he would shove my back and I would bump into my locker.  

It seems like the first time he did it it was an act of endurement.  Like playing around with one of your buddies.  But after a few times it got old.  He would look back at me with his hair flip in his blonde hair, seemingly to make sure that I knew it was him that pushed me.  It went from enduring, to annoying, to bullying, to daily trauma.  I set up a punching bag in my basement.  I found some martial arts magazines and started to practice some moves.  I grew a fear of confronting him.   I tried to just hope away the problem but it wouldn't go away.  I grew more and more weary of him doing this to me and I tried to come up with a scheme to get him to stop doing it.  Often there was an administrator at the end of the hallway watching over us, but they somehow never noticed or just never said anything.  Finally, the day came when I reacted back when he pushed me.  After he pushed me I remember grabbing his shirt and pulling his face close to mine.  He seemed to give a look like it was no big deal between us but also recognized my reaction as a serious one.  I was so much bigger and stronger and more athletic than Cory, so I really don't get why it took me so long to do something.  

It's another example of how my response to traumatic events is to freeze.  To just lay low and hope the problem will go away or that the perpetrators will have pity, or understanding, on me and leave me be.  

Where I get this response from I don't know.  However, that's not the point.  

The point is that when I see my loved ones get taken advantage of or if I see another student getting bullied I have a strong anger response.  This anger my be connected to my experience with Cory.