Status: In Progress
The Life of a Reader
The Choice to Read
"Twinkie."
"Fatty."
"Booger Eater."
"Katelyn MOLE."
Since preschool, I was bullied for my appearance and disabilities. I have glasses, and have 13% hearing in my left ear, with a hearing aid, and a minor case of dyslexia. Mom knew I was being bullied, and transferred me to a new school; my first day followed Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day. The rest of second grade was spent adjusting to a school still in construction. However, at the beginning of third grade, one of the girls that bullied me had transferred to my new school and it was back to being bullied.
I would go home, in tears, and mom would talk to the principal. He did nothing. This kept up for years.
In sixth grade, I went to the girl's homeroom teacher and told her that the student was picking on me for my weight and called me 'twinkie'. I know the teacher had heard her, but she did nothing about it.
One day, my class was lining up to leave the music room, when another girl shoved me out of line into the shelf corner; I had a bruise there for a few weeks. Dad told me, that if someone touches me like that, to fight back and I wouldn't get in trouble. I got up and shoved her back; that, the teacher saw. I got a detention for it. What dad had meant, was that I wouldn't get in trouble at HOME.
Back in sixth grade, the second of my three brothers was born, in 2006. My mom was also working at the time, so I'd come home from school and would be alone with my two brothers until dad came home around 5:30 - 6:00.
By August, I was reading chapter books to escape my life.
Seventh grade, that same girl that shoved me, cornered me along with her siblings, and tried to steal the goodies I had brought in to share with my home room, which she wasn't in. One of the eighth grade girls saw me, and saved me. She came over, put her arm around my shoulder, and told them to stop messing with her little sister. I wasn't her sister though, I wasn't even close to her. She scared them off and had me stay with her and her friends while we waited for the school doors to open. That was in May.
"Fatty."
"Booger Eater."
"Katelyn MOLE."
Since preschool, I was bullied for my appearance and disabilities. I have glasses, and have 13% hearing in my left ear, with a hearing aid, and a minor case of dyslexia. Mom knew I was being bullied, and transferred me to a new school; my first day followed Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day. The rest of second grade was spent adjusting to a school still in construction. However, at the beginning of third grade, one of the girls that bullied me had transferred to my new school and it was back to being bullied.
I would go home, in tears, and mom would talk to the principal. He did nothing. This kept up for years.
In sixth grade, I went to the girl's homeroom teacher and told her that the student was picking on me for my weight and called me 'twinkie'. I know the teacher had heard her, but she did nothing about it.
One day, my class was lining up to leave the music room, when another girl shoved me out of line into the shelf corner; I had a bruise there for a few weeks. Dad told me, that if someone touches me like that, to fight back and I wouldn't get in trouble. I got up and shoved her back; that, the teacher saw. I got a detention for it. What dad had meant, was that I wouldn't get in trouble at HOME.
Back in sixth grade, the second of my three brothers was born, in 2006. My mom was also working at the time, so I'd come home from school and would be alone with my two brothers until dad came home around 5:30 - 6:00.
By August, I was reading chapter books to escape my life.
Seventh grade, that same girl that shoved me, cornered me along with her siblings, and tried to steal the goodies I had brought in to share with my home room, which she wasn't in. One of the eighth grade girls saw me, and saved me. She came over, put her arm around my shoulder, and told them to stop messing with her little sister. I wasn't her sister though, I wasn't even close to her. She scared them off and had me stay with her and her friends while we waited for the school doors to open. That was in May.
♠ ♠ ♠
This is my experience. Not many follow this journey to become a Reader. But it is caused by low self-esteem, stress, and chronic loneliness.