We’ve all had those childhood moments that scared us. We wish to forget them even, but It’s funny to think that those embarrassing or painful experiences contribute to shaping us for the future. According to Orison Swett Marden, “Every experience in life, everything with which we have come in contact in life, is a chisel which has been cutting away at our life statue, moulding, modifying, shaping it. We are part of all we have met. Everything we have seen, heard, felt or thought has had its hand in moulding us, shaping us.”
My childhood experiences shaped me into the lady I am today. Would I change some things if given the opportunity to go back in time? Definitely. Some moments I would erase from the timeline while there are others I would keep as they had a serious impact on my life. I honestly believe my cycle of bad events started in primary school.
Let’s go back in time…
I remember the biggest challenge my 6-year-old self faced was bullying, and it was a downward spiral from there. You see, I started school a year earlier than my classmates, and they never missed a chance to remind me I was younger than they were. They would make my days at school a living hell. They would constantly tease me, blame me for everything, and throw about my school bag. Even my awesome Barbie themed pencils, books, lunch bags and crayons were victims. Like wow… the audacity of those children.
It began with them picking on me for being the youngest. Then I started coming 3rd in class at the end of every school term. Who told me to do that? Naive me had no clue I made it worse. From the first time I placed in the top 3 students, the bullying amplified. I was the youngest, shortest and one of the smartest. Only time those qualities were a bad thing.
For a child that loved school, I began to hate going there just because of all the bullying. Sometimes I even faked being sick. Every day, I would hear remarks like: “just because you have high grades, you feel you are all that?”, “that’s why you have no friends’ ‘ or “look it’s Miss Goody 2 Shoes”. I would get pushed around, made fun of and called names like “teacher’s pet”. To me, life was so unfair, and I would cry every evening.
After years of being fed up, I stood up to my bullies and the feeling was incredible. From that moment on I have never let any person have that much power over me. I became very bold and brave.
Present Day…
Looking back, maybe it was jealousy or the sight of little me excelling academically that made them insecure. I never understood why. Here are some tips I learned while dealing with bullies.
- Never show them that you are affected by them. Just smile even when It hurts.
- Ignore them… don’t showcase your anger.
- Be confident in your own skin.
- Repay them with kindness… it irritates them.
- Stand up for yourself.
- Confide in an adult.
My name is Tianna Williams-Clarke, a 17-year-old Barbadian who is currently an upper sixth student of the Combermere School. I am a member of the Teen Writers Academy and Empowering Girls Club, As well as, the current president of the school’s Key Club, my school’s drama team, dance, cheerleading, foreign language and Inter-School Christian Fellowship club. Apart from being a vivid reader and an aspiring writer, I love to travel, volunteer, meet new people, learn new things, develop my skills and be adventurous. A dream of mine is to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business where I can utilize my communication, collaboration and leadership skills. I hope to live a life inspiring to others by encouraging them to never give up, keep pushing forward regardless of their background and current situation.