No matter how much positivity you’re determined to present, the uplifting attitude that you swear by or the Good Vibes Only mantra that’s hailed and splashed across every retail product known to man…you cannot disregard the unpleasant reality that the world we’re so lucky to live in, is slowly crumbling.
I stopped in to my son’s [future] high school a couple weeks ago and Lordy-oh-Lordy, it was a visit that left me feeling robbed of my personal space. Short of getting swabbed for DNA, I had to offer up every single ounce of personal information just to enter the building. And all I wanted to do was purchase a hat from their spirit store. The visit truly disgusted me on so many levels. Metal detectors, police pat-downs, driver’s license scanning and storage, vehicle ID required, photo taken, blood draw…okay, not a blood draw. But I have a feeling that might be next. All of these things exist now if you even want to step foot inside a school. Why? Because safety is crumbling.
My oldest has been a victim of bullying on several occasions throughout his childhood. A recent episode at the start of this current school year, even. When I think back to my childhood and the several accounts of bullying that I experienced, they were executed differently but it was still the same outcome. Today, the bullying seems so much nastier and downright degrading. When children are taking their own life because they can’t bear to endure the torture or pain inflicted by another CHILD, it tears me up inside. Why? Because tolerance is crumbling.
Friends, I love a feel-good story. I support the Good Vibes Only frame of mind. And I follow several uplifting blogs and pages because I know there are amazing acts occurring with incredible individuals and I want to feed my heart with that kind of humanity. But I’m also not at all blind to the alarming and even frightful things that we are dosed up with on the daily. And you can bleed all the buoyancy until you’re blue in the face but I’m not convinced that the human race will turn things around any time soon. Therefore, it’s finding a mediocre middle ground so you don’t drive yourself crazy with concern. Awareness is important but sanity is essential.
It’s going to be pretty hard to reverse the ongoing damage but I am hopeful that the increasing crumbling will give cause for conversation. We are often too scared to address our concerns or approach individuals who should take responsibility for their unacceptable behaviors. I am entirely guilty. I honored my son’s request to not say anything about the bullying but now know I should have contacted the school to have a conversation. But I didn’t. Because I didn’t want him to endure any further harassment. However, now I’m contributing to the same kind of silence that shows people what they’re doing is okay even when it’s not. Many of the school shootings that have taken place around the country are because people didn’t have appropriate conversations with the individuals who so badly needed them. And now, invasive security measures are required in order to make a stop at a place that should be freely deemed as a safe and accessible spot. So, I’m going to make an effort to be a better voice. To help increase the awareness but still preserve the sanity. To help my children understand that despite the fears of how something might feel now; facing it may change a reality in the future.
Weakness for Words 