Bullies on the Big Screen

Boy is it COLD outside!!! I just want to snuggle underneath a blanket and watch a movie. Speaking of which, I've noticed many of the movies I have come to love and watch over and over again have a character that's a bully. Honestly, I didn't really think about it before. Bullies seem to appear in most movies set in a school or surround the life of a young person usually under 18. In High School Musical, there's Sharpay. In 17 Again, there's Stan. In 13 going on 30, there's Lucy. In Despicable Me, there's Gru, Miss Hattie and Despicable Me 2, you have El Macho. In Back to the Future there's Biff. Watching each character taunt, humiliate or utterly destroy someone's confidence/self esteem makes my heart just plummet.

I wanted to bring this to attention because there's a lesson to be learned. Now, I realize these are fiction films, but nevertheless these things happen in real life. I still remember watching the movie, Cyberbully, and having a million emotions go through me. What I went through was nothing compared to what Taylor was feeling. Regardless, no one has any right to treat someone else like dirt. Not a single person. I'm sure many of us have felt similar maybe even wished we weren't alive, but there is something to be said about staying strong and fighting the fight. The key for me to keep myself from falling into believing the lies fed to me from bullies is to remind myself daily that Ruth Jackson is in fact a one-of-a-kind human being and nothing can bring me down!

Here is a list of movies with bullies in them. Some of them I haven't seen yet, but I plan to! Think about what these characters are doing. If you realize you've been doing the same thing, make a change. If you see a classmate being cornered, be their "hero." Sometimes it's scary whether you are being bullied or standing up for someone else, but it's the right thing to do. Be the person others can look up to.

--Ruth Jackson

Letting Go of Hatred

I want to thank Frankie, the co-founder of Nobul, who brought this particular TED Talk to my attention. There are quite a few TED Talks that speak to the topic of terrorism, but Zak's speech in particular, about overcoming the barriers he thought were impenetrable, is something worth listening to. Personally, I thought this was beyond powerful and courageous for him to do this.

I am the son of a terrorist. Here's how I chose peace.

Many people were taught to fear the "other,"people who were different from them, in their upbringing. Some people were told that Black people are less intelligent than white people, that people with disabilities are incapable of learning and that people from different religions than their own should be avoided.  Negative stereotypes like these separate communities, groups and people from each other. I do my best not to categorize people and instead look at them as an individual. My Dad in particular tried really hard to make sure we didn't listen to "You Can't" because "We Can!" Each one of us is unique and when we push negative thoughts aside and hold on to positive people around us, we can indeed soar!

Zak said many things that resonated with me and almost brought me to tears. It's true that hatred demands so much energy while liking someone is easy in comparison. There will always be people who we don't like and that's alright, we don't have to like everyone, but we have to respect them. Growing up, I've watched teachers make fun of kids in the classroom who were different which negatively influenced the environment. I encourage everyone, especially those in authority, to really take a look at themselves and make the necessary changes to bring positivity into the space.

To the younger crowd, I hope what Zak said makes sense. Zak explains that peace is a choice and violence is a choice and each one of us is in control of what we choose. Spreading joy, peace, love, goodness and a host of other positive emotions and actions is far easier than finding new ways to hurt someone because of who they are. Like Zak's mother said, "I'm tired of hating people." Turn that around and make someone smile instead of hurt.

Enjoy your week!

--Ruth Jackson