Amid the Disheartened Rebirth Prevails

 

United we stand but divided we fall. As humanity beckons the new age of microwaving futures through instantaneous gratification, youth often become absorbed in the rat race towards ego-centric social Darwinism. As a 25 year old, my generation ushered in this brave new world to both positive and negative latent and manifest consequences. In the past, I was bullied by physical manifestations of psychological/physical warfare in the jungle that was adolescence. Being the nice guy who turned the other cheek and had a soft heart also meant being ridiculed for not being “guy enough” or being called a “fag.” I distinctly remember singing one of Usher’s new hits to myself in 2001, only to hear the jeers of others stating that I would never have a girl to sing that too. I wore a chain that was constantly yanked off. Richie Gaona and Craig Lane would punch me in the back, flick my ears, and slap the back of my head when the teachers either stepped out of the room or weren’t looking. They dared me to say something. I never did. I became quite introverted, resentful, saddened and downtrodden due to the daily barrage of insults and attacks on my personal character. To this day, I struggle with girl relationships, because at times I feel inadequate. My most recent girlfriend broke up with me because I was “too nice to her” and I was too much of the perfect boyfriend. It brought back years of suppressed emotional turmoil and pain. I once again delved into the recesses of my brain to determine the faults within myself. This vicious cycle is exactly why the newly minted cyber bullying cannot go unchecked. Despite my physical and psychological battles, I knew that once I left that area or that group, I would never have to deal with them again. Wounds would heal with time as I would not have to view insults via social media. Today, we must curb the bully’s evil discontent and insecure bullying tactics. Social media brings youth to their knees in utter despair as they have to see insults against them being “liked” and commented upon for the entire junior high or high school to see.  That visual attack was something I never had to process. I could compartmentalize my attacks. This new bully has the power to keep the attacks at the forefront of the mind. The idea that friends can create hate groups and not invite a certain person to an event that everyone else gets invited too on facebook or twitter only adds to the inner self-destruction. We must eradicate the need for egoistic alpha mentalities and create a loving atmosphere for those who have been bullied online to share and air their grievances before drug abuse, self-inflicted wounds, and/or suicides overpower their will. This therapeutic process may indeed be the bridge over troubled water to rebuild a disparaged heart longing simply for acceptance and love.

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