Romney Bullying Story Hit Home With Me

[stopbush]

Back in 1971-72, I was a senior at my pubic HS in Ohio. I was student council president and in the arts - I played in the band, sang in the choir, performed in the plays, etc. Even though I was on the tennis team and lettered in the sport, I wasn't considered a jock. Those were the football and basketball players. I had long blond hair, as long hair was the fashion back then.

One spring day after school, I was hanging out on the second floor of our school where the main staircase came up from the front door of the school. I suddenly realized that the person I was talking to and myself had been surrounded by 6 -7 jocks, two of which had scissors in their hands. They informed me that they were going to cut my "hippy hair." As I looked at the would-be assailants, I saw two kids from my church who had been in my confirmation class. "You guys, too?" I asked. They looked down at the floor.

Just then, our principal came walking up the stairs. He himself was something of a jock, having played pro football at one point. "What's going on here, men?" he asked. The scissors quickly disappeared, and one of the jocks said, 'Nothing. Just hanging out before heading home." "Really? Let me ask Mr ____ (ie: me). Is everything OK?" "It will be when these guys clear out," I said. "Time to head home, men," said the principal. "I trust I won't see you bothering Mr _____ again, correct?" With that, they shuffled off, and I went home with my hair intact.

And, I was left alone by those guys for the rest of the year.

A couple of years later, I was hitching home from college and was picked up by one of my would-be assailants right outside our town. We chatted for a few minutes, and he then apologized for that incident, which was 2-3 years in the past. "No harm, no foul," said I. "What were you guys thinking anyway?" "Who knows," came the reply, "We were pissed off at everything and everybody back then, and you were sort of the symbol for all that."

40th class reunion is this August. Haven't decided yet if I'll attend...

Unlike the poor kid in the Romney story, I wasn't constantly picked on. I ran with the popular kids in the non-jock contingent. I had tons of friends and wasn't a loner or outcast. But that incident was pretty scary when it happened. A pair of scissors can turn into a weapon in an instant. I can't imagine what it was like for that kid who Romney and his pals picked on all the time.

[freshwest]

1. Reminds me of my hubby, long blonde hair, was a jock, 6'6". No one would have messed with him, but

He hated fighting and a lot of smaller guys would try to start them. He was in most sports, football, basketball, track and was the class valedictorian, etc.

He did not want to go into professional sports in college, said they were into giving pain. He wouldn't hurt a spider, honest to goodness, very gentle person.

I am so glad that your principal was a good one and did what he should and that these guys were stopped from doing anything to you. He knew most of the people he went to school with so it was a different experience than mine.
He was a popular person.

I went to a different high school than my hubby, who was in a smaller district. My high school was near downtown with over 8K students. You only knew a few people, most of the students were strangers and anonymous to each other. Kids were divided into surfers, hippies, cowboys, ROTC groups and the jocks.

Parts of the school were dangerous so it was like a city where you avoid places for safety. Your story reminded me that some girls got raped in some of the stairways at my school, during school hours and most of us avoided any place without a lot of activity for safety.

[bluestateguy]

2. As student body president the principal probably thought you were worth protecting

It is unfair, but that is how these things work.

I was kind of in your shoes too in high school. I was socially awkward, but a good student and a leader on campus. If anyone had hurt me, the administration would not have tolerated it. But I saw again and again how kids who were campus nobodys were often bullied with few consequences.