Former bully changes outlook on life

“I’ll admit it. Growing up, I was a bully. Looking back on my elementary and middle school years, that’s disgusting. You can’t be proud of something like that.

“It probably had to do with my situation. There was only my mom to rely on for me and my four brothers. We lived place to place. We didn’t really have money to pay for clothes or shoes, or things like toys at Christmas.

“You feel bad about yourself. And when you’re so young, you’re not mature enough to understand that you’re supposed to be grateful for the things that you do have. So I would try to make other people feel smaller than me. I guess I felt like I needed to do anything to survive.

“I remember making fun of a guy because he wore the same outfit to school two or three days in a row. Of course, that was silly. I had been in that same situation because my mom couldn’t always afford laundry soap, or we didn’t have enough quarters to go the laundromat.

“Around freshman year in high school, I got sick and tired of feeling bad about myself. So I made a point of trying to compliment somebody every single day. Like, I wanted this girl to know that her makeup looked pretty. I wanted this guy to know that his shoes looked really cool. I wanted people to know that others noticed them.

“By doing that, it started making me feel better. Then, with the help of therapy, things started changing. I began building up my self-esteem, constantly reminding myself that I am worthy and that I can make a difference. It’s a new outlook on life.

“I’m not a bully anymore. But I will not hesitate to put someone in their place if need be.

“The golden rule that I stand by is to treat people the way you want to be treated. If someone happens to give me an attitude and I give them an attitude back, I will have to reset the next day.

“Overall, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I give them a second chance, or even a 42nd chance. It doesn’t always work out. But I keep trying.”