A Bully Taught Me The Secret to Confidence
I was painfully shy but an interaction with a bully helped me break out of my shell
When I was a kid, my mama told me that people would treat me the way I allowed them to treat me. I didn’t buy it. However, when I was twelve years old, I learned firsthand that she was right.
I never spent an entire year at one school, which meant I was always new. I was also shy. I envied the kids who joked aloud, answered questions without stammering, and weren’t afraid to say what they were thinking.
The school I attended was unique. It was a high school that started with 8th grade, which meant I was at the bottom of the ladder. I aspired to blend into the crowd, enough so that I wouldn’t draw the ire of any wandering bullies.
I tried to fit in by emulating the style of Popular Vanessa- a girl who everyone liked. I cut my bangs, curled them, baptized them in Aquanet, and teased them as high as they would go. I wore designer jeans and sweaters over plain tees. I also had several pairs of faux ballet slippers, which were all the rage in Kingston Springs, Tennessee circa 1991.
One morning, I slipped my Cinderella tootsies into a flashy pair of ballet beauties. They were encased in an ultra-shiny gold metallic fabric, compete with…
