Today’s #SameHere Hero: Amy Madge. I’m going to let her story do the talking here, as this is one of the most vivid recounts of what simple bully did to affect someone’s life, all the way from back to being a kid in school.
Amy’s strength is amazing in that she’s come out of it & has opened up & written books on bullying to help others. Welcome, Amy!
“I was bullied terribly as a young child. No matter how hard I tried, I was never accepted by my peers. I was bullied as I was not pretty enough, had curly hair, was the tallest in my class & had to repeat second grade. My 5th grade teacher told me in front of the class I was ugly bc I had curly hair.
Being bullied, teased & told I was ugly by a teacher made the bullying from fellow students that much worse…the kids figured if a teacher could say she is ugly, than so could we.
From a young age being told I was ugly, I believed it. Yes, I had a loving family, but I never told them what was happening in school as I thought that would make it worse. I bottled this inside for years. I was convinced I was no good. I never had a boyfriend, nor went to prom or dances.I built a wall up so high around myself that no one could get in.
I carried these feelings & insecurities well into adult hood. Yes, I talked to my minister at my church & it did help, but I never truly let my guard down. I went to college, landed a good job, but kept my distance & would not let anyone close.
It was not until I moved to Maine from Boston from the encouragement of my friend & roommate, Martha, who at the time was a nursing student( she is now a nurse) that I was convinced to seek the help of a counselor. They convinced me that seeking counseling was nothing to be ashamed of. She kept telling me I needed to heal my inner child so I could let go & heal, forgive & move on & be free.
Writing & photography & walking the beach have been very therapeutic for me.
I have written two books on bullying & another, a caregiving book, as a tribute to my late parents & my experiences in caring for them.
Through counseling I realized the trauma of being bullied along with the sudden & unexpected death of my oldest brother followed by going into caregiving mode for both my late parents, I never had time to heal & grieve my brother. it all hit my after my dad passed.
People along with my family have been very supportive since sharing my #SameHere Story. I have even heard from some people who bullied me as a child & they have apologized. Recently I participated in a town festival & my anti bullying books sold out. I was surrounded by kids, teachers & parents. I was hearing their stories & realized my story can help people.”