I think everyone has been bullied at one point or another. All through middle school and elementary school, people made fun of me to the point where I became obsessed with becoming "normal." Then, in 9th grade I had a minor nervous breakdown, and I realised something had to change in my life.

I finally said "screw everyone else" and decided to do my own thing. Things actually got worse for awhile as many of the people I had been hanging out with for years slowly drifted away. At the same time, however, I made a few new friends and grew closer to the two or three people who accepted me for who I was and who were going through something similar to what I was going through. Those are the friends who have stuck by me through the last two and a half years and still accept me for the "weird" girl that I am.

There are still people who make fun of me sometimes, but now I've gained the self confidence and self-respect to be able to laugh it off and to accept that there will always be bullies--I just don't have to take their crap.

Peace--Keli