So far I have encountered exactly two (and they are polar opposite) responses to me pulling Josh out of school. The most common response is utter shock and disbelief, complete with hanging open mouth and sputtering. They always say I can't do it, I have to make Josh work it out, you can't quit school. The other response is a more solemn "You did the right thing" along with nodding in sympathy and eyes welling with tears. The people who agree with my decision? Those are the people who were either bullied themselves or parents of bullies. I have yet to meet anyone with personal bullying experience who thinks I should have left Josh in the ring with the bully. That helps.
I was sharing the ordeal with a mom friend in the locker room at the posh club today. When I slipped into the sauna there was a stranger lady lying in my spot. With a towel over her face. So I sat down in not my spot and the towel headed torso said through her towel that she had heard me mention something about taking a bat to someone's head. So I told the towel headed torso all about it. She had gorgeous boobs and creamy white skin. I thought the torso must be in her mid 30's. The little voice in my head kept suggesting I give a pared down version of the story. I can never seem to do that. In the end the towel faced lady, who had a very youthful torso, told me her youngest child was 21 years old and that she still feels physically ill when she thinks about the bullying he endured in middle school. Then she sat up, smiled her way wiser than mid 30's face at me, wished me well, and exited the sauna.
You did the right thing. Make him work what out exactly? Teach him that no matter how bad a situation is, the grown-ups know best and get to tell him what to do? Nuh-uh.
I wasn't bullied in school, I was just excluded from most stuff. The shitty politics and social crap that went on made me sick. My brother was valedictorian of his class and I could have been of mine but I wouldn't play the game(academically or socially). He did, and he hated school as much as I did.
Posted by: molly | May 24, 2011 at 11:12 PM