An example of microaggression, I dealt with when I was a child, was the fact that I was singled out. I had a friend, who I thought was my friend, but actually wasn’t. When it came to the two of us laughing and talking everything was fine, until she started hanging out with her other friends and completely forgot about me. While being in her presence, her friends would laugh at me, call me names and pick on me and all she would do is laugh. At times I defended myself, by talking about them in front of them as well as finding ways to make them angry as well as her. Once her friends started disappearing, she re-entered the stage of being my friend. Being called poor, trashy, dirty, calling my mom names, because she wore a wig hurt me. As time progressed, I ignored their comments as well as the girl who I thought was my friend that never was. The next school year, became better for me. They realized that I was a person, who cared less about what they thought. It took a while for me to understand, that they pick on people who are less than them (their lifestyle) but not better than them. Sure we moved into a better house, with better clothes, and my attitude was the same, except I ignored them completely, I made myself stronger.
Tree of love
This was a gift given to me on my last day of student teaching in Leesburg, Ga by the students and my master teacher in May of 2010. I treasure this gift because it reminds me of the passion and the ambition they felt for me.
That is really a sad story. Do you recall in our previous class when we read about the bullies in school? It is really horrible that childrenlearn to be so mean and cruel at such a young age. It is good but unfortunate that was the kind of thing that had to make you a strong person. Although I am sure it made you treat people with much more respect.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you had to deal with this. The thing that is crazy is that this happens to so many little girls. I have recently been in talks with the new principal of my daughters school about implementing an optional class for parents to sign their kids up for that would teach the art of being a friend. Things covered would include bullying and respect. Although my daughter is starting first grade tomorrow this is a topic we've already had to discuss more often than not in my house.
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