Dreamer collects strays.
Not dogs, not cats, (I will write about the dead possum another day), but humans. Being a gentle soul, Dreamer would offer friendship at school to anyone who seemed as out-of-place as he felt. He collected rocks, shiny things, and all the bully-bait.
He befriended the super-smart kid with the super-fast mouth that made the other kids feel inferior. He adopted the sensitive, gentle kid who was being bullied. He hung out with the kid with the second-hand clothes and uncoordinated gait, and the super-hyperactive ASD kid who drove Dreamer mad with his noise and movement but was welcome anyway. There were a few more who drifted in and out as their need or lack of friends dictated.
By the time year 7 rolled around, they were half-a-dozen strong, and they called themselves the Weirdo Gang. The larger used their strength, the smaller used their wit, and together they were untouchable.
When I asked Dreamer if he had any problems with bullies at school, he'd tell me "No, nobody bothers the Weirdo Gang." They had safety in numbers, and I loved those kids.
I did not choose a high school based on recommendations of the best Special Education Unit, but on where the Weirdo Gang were going. Even so, numbers were thinned to three for Year 8. Motor-mouth drifted away to another group, then the gentle kid moved away from town.
By this time, though, Dreamer had found the Library Kids, and they had adopted him.
Do all schools have Library Kids? It seems to be a bit of a given - if you like books more than 'footy on the oval', and realise that libraries are open and staffed during lunch breaks, then you quickly discover that you can sit outside the library, and duck inside if bullies are lurking with intent. I know these things because I was a Library Kid too.
Gangs and cliques and school... workplaces... everywhere.
It's survival of the fittest and strength in numbers, but you can't beat a gang of weirdos.
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Thank you Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI needed that. I'm still labouring under the preconception that bullying is wrong and shouldn't happen, and so if we try hard enough, it won't happen.
Please let the Wierdos find Billy soon. I gave the death stare to three little hippy kids today who thought it was just high-larious to treat Billy like he was a toddler.
They're only kids, but they can still be tools...
:)
Hey Val, I think if you try hard enough, you can help a few bullies to re-think how they live, but there are so many bullies out there that you also have to teach how to cope with bullies and avoid bullies, and how to know when to do which.
ReplyDeleteBilly can start his own Weirdo Gang. As I recall, it involved (a) having a fun for kids house, (b)always inviting kids over if we noticed a budding friendship, and (c) accepting that our kids did not regularly get reciprocal invitations.
Damn, our place is still the neighbourhood drop in centre. At least I know where they are... and where everyone else's kids are too.
Wow. this is indeed a truly awesome blog. Ms Jemikaan was correct. Thank you for sharing in your very unique and oh so readable and wonderful way.
ReplyDeleteLisa, thankyou for the comment you left over at my blog. I followed you here via it and I've fallen in love with your blog! I love the way you write and you've given me a completely new perspective on life so THANKYOU :D. I hope you don't mind but I've written a blog plug post sending people here :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspiring and hopeful post :)
ReplyDelete