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Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Issues in my Tissues

I got beat up on the school bus by a boy in the 8th grade.

Yep. It's out there. I said it. Now you know why I'm so fucked up. I'd love to post his name but I think I'm above that. Not above by much but above nonetheless.

The reason for this incident is still unclear to me and doesn't really matter at all. It's the aftermath that has scarred me for my entire life. The physical and emotional bruising. The fact that no one, including the male bus driver, came to help me. How I was completely ostracized after the incident.....

Here's how the aftermath played out:
  • Had to go home and tell my parents that I was refusing to ride the bus to school ever again.
  • Had to tell my parents what happened and who did it to me.
  • Begged my father not to call the kid's father.
  • He called anyway.
  • The kid was popular, so after he got in trouble he managed to turn everyone else against me, including my two cousins who lived next door to me. I haven't spoken to either of them since this incident, which divided the family.
  • Someone scratched an adjective on my locker and I had to look at it everyday til graduation.
  • My mother had to adjust her work schedule so that she could take me to school which resulted in daily fights for nearly a year.
  • I lied to my parents that I was riding the bus home, when in actuality I walked home everyday, in every kind of weather, nearly 3 miles until school was over.
  • I refused to go to the brand new high school in our town; insisting that I went to the same private Catholic high school that my sisters attended. Again, the issue of much fighting.
  • Went to said Catholic high school. Our town paid for busing the first year. After that, we had to pay for busing.
  • Parents so angry over the cost of busing ($300), I was forced to get a job so that I could buy a car to drive myself to school. Mother actually combed the newspapers to find me a job, drove me to the interview on my 16th birthday and told me not to come out until I had a job.
  • Worked 40 hours per week through the rest of high school which caused my grades to suffer terribly. I was originally in all first track classes but my grades slipped much that they bumped me down to second track. This 'move down' got me labeled the dumb kid in my social group even though I was as smart as the rest of the kids I hung out with.
  • Because my grades had slipped and I got bumped down, I couldn't get into a upper echelon college. Because I was middle track there was no guidance counseling. Guidance was reserved for first and third track students.
  • I ended up at what would be considered a "trade college".....
  • And so it goes...

I could go on and on but I think I've made myself clear.

I just got back from an energy healing certification course. Sometimes when you are on a spiritual journey, past issues are brought directly to the surface. This came right to the surface this week. The very first night of our class the subject of love came up. The specific topic was allowing people to love us and how many of us don't. We pull you in with one hand and then push you away with the other hand. I can't help but reflect that this incident, at such a vulnerable time in my life as well as the years of aftermath, had such a deep impact on my developing psyche. I mean, think back to when you were 13 years old. Didn't you want to be one of the popluar kids? ("Love me!") Then I got hurt by one of these popular kids. ("Love me, but don't hurt me.") You can't hurt me if I keep you at bay......

So this is what I am working on clearing and healing. Through the Integrated Energy Therapy class I attended, we learned to energetically heal the "issues in the tissues". Cells remember. Unfortunately. The exploration of this memory has answered a lot of questions for me about why I am the way I am.

I'm going to try to let this memory heal. I know it won't be easy. I'll never forget what happened but I am praying to find grace in forgiveness. And it doesn't hurt that, shortly after we got married, my husband promised me that if he ever sees this guy he'll fucking kill him.

3 comments:

  1. Wow, that's really shitty. Forgiveness isn't easy when someone's done us wrong. I find it helps me to humanize the person by making up scenarios that could have caused the person to take that action....maybe his dad beat him every day. Who knows. Lots of good lessons in those cells though! What's that they say about even our enemies being our teachers? Sometimes I hate that shit!! Good luck ;-)

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  2. Forgiveness is often the answer. Can we forgive the perpetrator? Can we forgive those who didn't prevent or help resolve the issue? Can we forgive God for this whole school of life, with all its bumps & blessings? Can we forgive ourselves for having ego needs (& choosing to attend 'school' in the first place)? Let me know if you figure it out! ~ Tink

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  3. Where was I? When you were 13, I was 25, well, that answers that. What was it about that town, #1 was bullied on the school bus too. So was I. High school, all 4 years were pure HELL. Kids can be so mean, sometimes, most times, without knowing what they did. The longer I live, I see Karma come to those who have done me wong. I still try to pray for them, even when it's so hard to. (And try not to LOL when I hear whats happened to them.) The COUSINS, beware!

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