|
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Singing Caged Bird (a reference to Ms. Angelou).....
I fast forward to the spring of 2010. Ironically my being a bullied target meant that I was excluded from a major
bullying case at my former school. I was not invited in.
That’s
the way bullying works. That’s the way it worked for me. That’s the way it works for our children.
Intimidation.
Exclusion.
Abuse.
I continued with my work unaware that this case was going
to erupt and I would be called in to cover for my bully and his sycophants and their handling of the case, with the work I’d
done.
Please know he and his followers not only
did not support my bullying prevention presentations to children, they treated my work as unimportant and frivolous. They
made fun of my efforts.
The real truth is my former school’s principal and his followers
did not even care to find out what I was doing. The truth is, that for many, it angered and annoyed them
that I forged this path in spite of them.
My bully once held up his thumb and index finger with a
miniscule space between them and glowered at me, “Bullying prevention is this much of what I expect of you.”
He smirked. He knew he had the power. It felt like he was stalking his prey.
I left his office that day sick inside. I knew I was vulnerable.
I felt like an insect into which my boss’ boot heel would, if I didn’t dart away and hide, soon grind.
Although in official reports he stated he’d “never been alone with me”
(why was that important?), we most certainly were alone that day. Know this: there were no witnesses to
that incident. Still. It happened.
I understand though why
Maya Angelou’s caged bird kept singing. I was a caged singer too.
Mine was,
I believe, an imperfect yet brave solo at my former school. It might have brought tears to your eyes; tears for my valiant
and moving effort....or tears at your own frustration and inability to snuff out the irksome noise.
I continued my bullying prevention work at that school in spite of not only my principal’s
lack of support but his arrogant ignorance of its importance. He never made clear what exactly
his expectations were.
I hope my recounting of my experience is helping. I think it just might be....
Kim
9:55 pm est
|
