Way OT: Were you cool in school?

[Outkaster]

No, I was far from cool. In fact, I was very badly bullied throughout primary and secondary school. The happiest day of my life was starting at university, free at last of that terrible past.

 

I later wrote a piece on my experiences for the newspaper I worked for. It was a personal response to a local education authority's attempts to discredit the fact that 16-year-old schoolgirl Katharine Bamber had committed suicide after years of repeated bullying which the authority failed to act upon.

 

As an aside, although I don't mention my musical abilities in the piece, they were yet another thing which marked me out as "different" at school and thus an easy target for bullying.

 

I've scanned the piece in from an old newspaper cutting: You can read it here.

 

Also, a bit of background to the Katharine Bamber case from the parliamentary records of Hansard: Click

 

 

 

 

There was a story on the news today of a dad that went to the rescue of his daughter because kids were bullying her. In fact she has Cerebral palsy so it was worse. He may be arrested because of it. He wanted the bus driver to step up but he would not. Bullying really fucks kids up later in life.

 

[video:youtube]

[Ken Beaumont]

The pathetic thing about that video is the kids laughing about it at the end.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

I was bullied all the way from 7th through 9th grade - mostly by one particular individual. I grew 14" between 9th and 10th grade - the other individual did not. I didn't have to stomp him - just the mere threat (voiced loudly in front of a lot of other students) was sufficient. In fact - after that no one tried bullying me again. The very last school fight I was in, I was probably lucky - someone took my glasses, and I knocked them down a flight of stairs (not really intentional as far as the stairs were concerned - my vision was 20/400). The kid was knocked out, but not permanently hurt, and there were enough witnesses that it all stopped there.

 

This is one of the reasons that my granddaughter (who lives with us) has been trained to mid black-belt level in Tae Kwon Do.

 

If I were on the jury for the guy that stood up for his daughter, the DA might as well have not wasted his time bringing the case.

 

 

[Michelle ggurl]

If I were on the jury for the guy that stood up for his daughter, the DA might as well have not wasted his time bringing the case.

 

 

+1, Damn right.

[KenElevenShadows]

But just like now, I just don't care whether someone is cool or popular or a stoner or a surfer or musician or a drama person or really studious or whatever. I only care that I enjoy their company. That was the way I was then, and I suppose I haven't changed all that much in that regard.

 

 

Excellent. That's what I was going to say.

 

Now I don't have to post.

 

I'm here to help, Tom!! If anyone else wants me to post for 'em, just gimme a shout!

[Joe Muscara]

Please, Ken. We would appreciate it if you continued to post for Tom.

[ITGITC]

Please, Ken. We would appreciate it if you continued to post for Tom.

 

Yes Ken. By all means.

 

I'll post for Joe.

[Joe Muscara]

Thanks Tom! http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae301/EarlyMemphis/Smileys/BeerCheersSmiley.gif

[mcgoo]

this is getting kinda creepy.... you guys aren't gonna trade underwear too are ya?

[Synthoid]

this is getting kinda creepy.... you guys aren't gonna trade underwear too are ya?

 

 

And I was just getting ready to post... oh well.

[mcgoo]

this is getting kinda creepy.... you guys aren't gonna trade underwear too are ya?

 

 

And I was just getting ready to post... oh well.

 

um, sorry... didn't mean to pee in the cornflakes. My bad.

[Synthoid]

this is getting kinda creepy.... you guys aren't gonna trade underwear too are ya?

 

 

And I was just getting ready to post... oh well.

 

um, sorry... didn't mean to pee in the cornflakes. My bad.

 

 

This thread is just gettin' better by the minute!

 

 

 

[Joe Muscara]

Yeesh.

[MAJUSCULE]

Some 30 years later, my kids think I'm the most uncool person on the planet. Oh well.

 

Dude, if your kids don't know what kind of coolness is entailed by owning a Wurly 200A, I don't know where you went wrong.

[The Real MC]

Sports ruled in my high school. If you weren't an athlete, you were an outcast.

 

Some of us had other talents and dared to exploit them. The jocks actually admired my piano playing but we weren't part of their "social club". I tried sports but I hated them because the coaches played favorites.

 

Most of the kids in my class were snobs, today I keep in touch with only two of them. I had better friends in older and younger classes. HS was a most unpleasant experience.

 

I feel sorry for musically aspiring kids in HS today - with the widespread budget problems, music programs are among the first to get the axe but they won't touch the golden goose sports programs.

 

B@st&rds. The public high school system seriously needs reform.

[Steve Force]

Although I for the most part detested my High School experience, to it's credit it knows how to actively support both sports AND music. In fact, my HS for decades has won state (and national) marching band tournaments and annually either wins or places in the top 5 state-wide in its category.

 

I remember when I was in Elementary school the HS Marching Band Won a trip to Pasadena to march in the Rose Bowl parade!

 

Not too bad for a out-state Michigan Rural High School.

[jimtheswede]

I thought I was Ray Manzarek Jr. - except without the sideburns! Looked very much alike and he was a big influence on my playing (and lifestyle). Was very much a hippy and stoner and really didn;t expect to live past the age of 20 (I'm 52 now). Well...we all grow up eventually I guess (or unfortunately die trying)!