Just a penny

For some odd reason this one particular day in Jr High is etched in my mind and will never be forgotten. Of course it is along the lines of bullying, I just don't get it. Children are committing suicide at the age of 13! All because of people picking on them. There was a case where the child's parents had all the proof and evidence they needed to show the school what was going on, but the school wouldn't listen. Instead they ignored it all and all the evidence was destroyed or it somehow disappeared. This young child took his own life because going to school was much more difficult. I pray that my children never feel this way.

Okay, so back to this day...I guess I was in the 7th grade...honestly, I can't remember but I do remember sitting at the lunch table in cafeteria with my "friends". When another girl started picking on me, and I don't mean whispering to the girl next to her, no she was much more profound and made sure that everyone heard her. I think if she were whispering, it wouldn't have been so bad. However, shouting was her way of getting everyones attention. "Penny For a Whore,"she would yell. She was carrying a white Styrofoam cup, one that we would drink tea from, and on it she had written, "Penny for a whore." Standing in the lunchroom she passed this cup around, person to person, asking for everyone to donate a penny to the whore. I just sat there and tried to hold back my tears, as this cup made its way around the lunch room and eventually it was right in front of me. And you know what, people actually thought it was funny, and put money in this cup! I was so humiliated. How could this girl, someone who just the other day said she was my friend do this me? What had I done to deserve such cruelty? Why did she think I was a whore, I mean she didn't know if I was a virgin or not. She just chose to call me such hateful names and others listened and laughed.

I still wonder why she did that and the answer is, I will never know. I can't tell you that I learned anything from it, I can't even tell you why I remember that day much less why I would want to write about it. I mean, who cares, that was over 15 years ago. Right? But I still care and I still wonder why she and some others chose me. Every memory I have, has shaped me into the woman I am today. And today I am happy.  I happy because I am in love with my husband, more so today then the first day we met. I am happy because I have 2 beautiful children, who call me mommy!!

So even though I remember this awful time in the lunch room when I was a kid, I look in the mirror and smile. Why, you may ask? Because I am happy...and of course it doesn't hurt that well, he married me...when he could have been with her...