A Different Side of Me By: Jessica Alig

Everyone has a defining moment at some point in their lives. Whatever this moment is, it will be carried on throughout the rest of their lives. My defining moment happened when I was in the 8th grade, and I will never forget it.

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� Who I was before my position shift, and what my ideals and opinions consisted of.

� How my position shift impacted me so much, and how it led me to change.

� Who I am today, and how my position shift played a big part in shaping that.

“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will

find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.”

-(Norman Vincent Peale)

Part 1: The Before

As a child…. �  I was extremely shy.

�  I didn’t talk to anyone.

�  I was smart, but never showed it socially. �  I wasn’t confident, and I over-analyzed

everything.

Growing up… �  I started maturing, yet I was still not

confident. �  I saw bullying all the time, and never said

a word. I was afraid of what would happen to me.

�  I strongly hated bullying, so much so that I’d go home and cry because I saw my peers getting pushed around.

� My parents and teachers would ask why I was always upset, but I never said a word.

�  I felt lucky that I wasn’t bullied, and I didn’t want that to change.

When I was in the 8th grade, I interned with Special Education students and I met my best friend, Tyler, who was autistic. Tyler was the sweetest boy I’ve ever met, to this day. He cared for everyone around him.

Part 2: My Transition

One day… � My school was having a field day, and

everyone was outside playing. �  I noticed some of the “jocks”

approaching Tyler, and I saw Tyler’s head fall into his hands crying.

� The boys were taunting him, asking him to play Frisbee, because they knew he was incapable.

In the past…. I would have carried on whatever I was doing and pretended I didn’t notice the bullying going on in front of me. This time,

however, that changed.

I ran over to the boys, and threw my drink into one of their faces. I then went on a rant embarrassing them in front of all of our peers. I wanted them to feel the pain they inflicted on others, and they did. Some may say I was dramatic, but I’m glad I did it. They deserved to be put in their place.

Part 3: The After

�  I now look at bullying in a whole new light. I will always defend anyone I see gettiing bullied.

�  Its becoming more of an issue world wide each and every day, and I want to raise awareness.

�  It’s not fair to anyone to be picked on for uniqueness and peculiarities. Every person is meant to do something, and we are not all the same.

� We need to embrace this and not let people slander each other with words and actions alike.

�  I still am close to Tyler, and I wish everyone could meet someone as inspirational that they feel unconditional love for.

�  Although Tyler was afraid to stand up to himself, I’m glad I could be there to support him.

If there’s anything to learn from my experience… �  It’s to never hold back our feelings, and

make sure we are always there for each other. We are put on this Earth to work together, not against each other.

Works Cited � BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. �  "Bullying | Michele Borba." Michele Borba.

N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. �  "S"Green Initiative." Grant Thornton -. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014. � Speech Therapy for Autistic Children -

Speech Buddies Blog." Speech Buddies Blog RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.