When I was ten, Tanya Nelson repeatedly tortured me by jabbing me with a compass. She sat behind me and constantly tormented me along with others for being a sissy. I took the abuse. I learned to tolerate it and even enjoyed figuring out ways to endure the humiliation.
I decided that she, like my family of origin and everyone else who did so much harm to a young, precocious child was not going break me. I decided that I would win. My mother refused to take my pleas seriously and I never talked to my dad about anything.
I share this story because it all came flooding back to me today when I started having some modicum of gaining employment after eighteen months of unemployment.
Lately, I have had to really look at all that I endured and survived on my way to full adulthood. I would love to have spoken with any of those young people who took their own lives and said “Why do you think this is the only option?”
If you really wanna screw with ’em, tell ’em to fuck off and truly develop your gifts and become madly successful. I would have reminded them the things that people are so bloody worked up about make them unique. I would have shared my story and said, I made it. Let me show you how to make it. I would have also pointed out that if they’ve gotten to the teen years and got through them they can absolutely do anything.
I would share my new favorite quote. In the absolutely adorable, heart warming, humanistic series, The Number One Ladies’ Detective Agency, the heroine, Precious, states “Like my father, I am made of strong stuff.”
This is what we must remind our children of. They have all of this incredible stuff inside. The ooey gooey center that everyone hates and yet so desperately needs is what’s required to conquer the world and ourselves. The strong stuff that Precious speaks of is in any and all of us who have had to survive and hatch failsafe plans that would ensure we live to fight another day.
The fight is an internal one.
We old folk have no business leading the next generation into battle then walking away. There is a need for assurance and support until there isn’t. It is difficult to keep our greatness at the forefront of our program when so much around us tells us who we are and should be.
Like fussy, spoiled children we must stomp and rage to get what we want and not settle. We must remind ourselves of our own inherent goodness. We must remind ourselves of our greatness even when it feels forced or fake and there is no one to concur with. It is our job to develop the core of our youth to such an extent that it doesn’t matter who is around or where we are, we know who we are and what we have to offer our communities and the world.
Forgetting that our greatness lies in our humanity and abilities to connect is a very systematic and seductive proposition. To go unfazed and distraction free, we must remember our “strong stuff.”
This posting was inspirational. I particularly enjoyed how you empower yourself to rise above instead taking on a victims attitude. You are correct in stating that being madly succesful will really mess with them. My favorite quote was “I would have reminded them the things that people are so bloody worked up about make them unique.”
Ed
Good thinking Ed. And as always, well written Anthony! NK
Very motivational speech. I was reminded of my struggle during adolescence and wish that I had the presence of mind to stand up to those who held me down. I applaud you for rising above and hope that children hear your message and believe that they too can take charge of their situation.
You are indeed a very influential person. I shared your article with a few friends that were in the same position you were in during your childhood and they have developed a voice for themselves and also self confidence. Thank you. It’s motivators like you who help people know they can overcome these distressful situations and rise to the occasion and be strong and tolerant.