The Anti-Bully Blog Series Edition #16, in loving memory of my father

Logo Credit to Nate Williams

Coming into this blog post I knew only one thing, that it was going to be dedicated in memory of my father. I HAVE done an in memory post for my father recently on my personal blog, but my dad was a BIG fan of the Anti-Bully Blog series. I REALLY wasn’t aware he even read it until I visited him one day and he brought up all the posts I’d done up until that point. To all the Anti-bullies to date, my dad thought it was pretty amazing that you shared your stories. I wasn’t sure if I was going to do a typical post and dedicate it in memory, or talk about my dad…I only like as I’m typing this decided the way to go is dad.

Since I’ve started this series (almost a year ago) I’ve had a LOT of people come up to me and tell me how great it was I’m doing this. It was mentioned to me at my WEDDING ok? I do it because I myself am an anti-bully. I hate bullying, I may have lost listeners in the past because they post something on FB and I flat out call them out on what they’re saying. I’m not in the business of losing listeners, I’m of course constantly looking for them. But if I went along with what they said or did, I’d be a HUGE hypocrite. Not to say I’m perfect. I always think back to the second or third piece I ever featured where the Anti-Bully told me at one point or another we’re all a bully, if we mean to or not. I’m aware of an incident where I was. I’m friends again with this person and they even did a piece for the blog. I ALSO told them they could 100% mention when I did that, but they chose to focus on the positive parts of our relationship. I’m kind of getting off topic though, I’m a passionate Anti-bully because I was taught to be, by my dad. There are several things I’ve learned from my father, but he made sure I understood the golden rule, and that I was no better than anyone, and that no one was better than me. We’re all equal. I believe this whole heartedly. So if I REALLY believe this, how could I not be an anti-bully?

Some other things I picked up from my father? My attitude, and back bone. Both Burned him from time to time but dad ALWAYS used to tell this one story about me, when I was bullied. I was 6 and on my way home from school 4 or 5 boys from my class were pushing me into the wall and not letting me go home. When finally I DID get in the door of my house I BURST out crying. Dad asked me what happened, I told him, and he asked why I was crying now? I told him “I wasn’t going to let them see me cry”. I struggled in grade 6, because I wasn’t one of the “cool” girls. I wanted to be SO desperately. Dad explained to me it was because I was always the friend to the kids who needed friends…the ones who were bullied. Dad had taught me to be like this young too. There was a girl in my class who no one played with, and she’d yell hello to me on the playground all the time. My dad was VERY involved with my school when I was a kid and would NOT let me be rude and ignore her. I can’t really remember if I ever tried to be or not…I was like 5…but I know I became friends with her and dad would take me over to her house for playdates from time to time. I specifically remember him doing this to my brother too when he was 5 and a little girl had a crush on him. Dad would NOT TOLERATE us being mean to others for no reason. I stress the no reason because he never expected us to be a doormat either, and to stand up for ourselves, and in time, our friends.

The majority of the story is from when I was quite young because he taught me to be an Anti-bully when I WAS very young. So I dedicate this piece in memory of my Father, an Enforcer of Anti-bully Behavior!