The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond XXX

Vallerie Peguero
Peter Laboy, Teacher
Bellesini Academy
Have you ever been called names like “disgusting,” “weird,” or “ugly?” Did
these words make you sad or hurt you? These same words were said to me,
and they upset me. To fight off hurtful words, you need courage. Courage
requires self-confidence, strength, and bravery. Bullying is when someone who
thinks they have more power than you lets out their anger and pain on you.
Bullies bully you for a reason. In my moment of courage, I showed that it is
important for you to stand up for yourself. Otherwise, you will end up hearing
the same words that tear you apart every day. These same words led me to feel
insecurities and doubts. They led me to doubt myself and keep quiet, which
was not the right thing to do on this occasion. The right thing to do was to
have courage, and make a change for myself and others.
Kids were screaming, and the group of girls in another corner were gossiping
and whispering secrets. The sun flashed on the red and yellow playground,
and other kids were playing tag and bumping into each other. I was playing
in the big sandpit and drawing small figures in the smooth sand. Then, the
group of girls came up to me and started calling me hurtful words. As they
spoke, my mind shrunk, and I cringed harder and harder as I was sweating
and shaking. My mind went blank, and I realized that I was getting pushed. I
didn’t know what was happening. When it was over, I kept my mouth shut and
hoped that things would get better, but they did not.
Every day I would get hurt, and I could not find the strength to shout
something to make it all stop. I felt that I did not have any control, and I let
it continue. At one point, I decided to put an end to the madness. As I went
up to the group, I started to have doubts, and I was shaking and anxious. As I
approached them, I started saying things, but I could not hear my own voice
because I was so scared. After that, they all laughed at me and showed that
they did not care about what I said. I was so ashamed of myself. I felt that I was
not in control of my own actions. I felt like I was being controlled by them,
like a puppet, so I decided to tell an adult. I told my teacher everything about
the mean girls who kept bullying me. At the end of it all, they stopped bullying
me, and I was left at peace because I had courage. This was my moment of
courage. I was brave enough to say something, or at least do something, to
stop what was breaking me down slowly.
The Courage of Children: Boston and Beyond
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