No question is too small, too strange or too weird. Check out the sidebar to see how you can send your questions in, and I will answer them here :) Other than that, I like to post music, preach and use this as a journal of sorts.
Does the title sound familiar? LOL I think I used the exact same wording but today I substituted 'Bullying' for 'Nightmares'.
It's a fact, though, that bullying will go on forever until we decide to do something about it!
So here is the video that I posted on my Youtube channel... okay, so currently there is nothing on it except for this video. I also have it on my facebook page. I think that it is important that we all reach out and be the bigger people in dangerous situations where people are threatened. No one deserves to be bullied, no matter who they are, what they have done, or where they are from (that sounded like a Backstreet Boys song...).
Does everyone agree?
Many people know about my struggles in the past with bullying, depression, low self-esteem and suicide. It's a path that no one wants to go down and a life that no one wants to live. I can understand why so many young people have committed suicide because of the bullies; I've been there and wanted the same thing myself.
Some people have asked me various questions about what it was like, what I did, and what made me change. One of the most common questions that I am asked is "How did you, in turn, beat the bully and not let them beat you?"
I can so answer that.
Bullying is something that no one deserves, as I had said earlier.
After being beat down so many times and over and over again, you get tired of it. You want something to change, and most of all, you don't want to let the bullies win. It's easier said than done, I agree.
But you know what? Reaching out for help is the number one way to get yourself out of a terrible situation like that. Getting help and asking for it is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of character. It shows that you recognize that you are in trouble, and you can't fend it off alone.
I hope that you guys will make EVERY SINGLE DAY anti-bullying day.
I was able to post the actual video on my blog here. Enjoy and please share further <3
STAY OUT OF TROUBLE AND DON'T FORGET TO SMILE! Remember, you are all beautiful <3
Good afternoon to my fellow and faithful readers of this random blog here on the westcoast... I am so exhuasted. I spent last night at my school, sleeping in the gymnasium and not eating anything for 30 hours and possibly more to raise awareness in ourselves that there are people out there who are less fortunate than us and do not have the luxury of opening a fridge and pulling something out to eat the way we do... please be mindful of that and don't waste food! Trust me.. it was quite the experience. Pulling an all nighter, not eating regularly at all for 30+ hours and watching 'Horrible Bosses' on my friend's iPad... t'was an excellent night <3
Okay. So. My rant for today.
I'm sure anyone with internet and anyone who lives in the area I live in is aware of the Amanda Todd story.
I watched this a couple days ago. It was so painful to watch. It's Amanda's story, written out on pieces of paper. There is no voice at all, just the words on the paper telling the story of the never ending hell that she had to go through all because of one jerk and one misstep.
Many people say that she had it coming for her because she did something so stupid. They called her stupid because of the mistake that she made.
Tell me, do you not make mistakes? Are you this high and mighty person who is invincible and immune to not making mistakes?
I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but we are all human. Humans make mistakes. I make a lot of mistakes, let me tell you. There is not one day that goes by that I make at least one small mistake that will impact me for the rest of the day, week, or life. There is also not one day that goes by that I wish that some of the things that I have done I could rewind, go back in time and take back what I did or said.
Amanda Todd is a beautiful girl who could've had a beautiful life if there weren't such things as bullies in the world. Why do we bully? Why do we try to make people's lives miserable? Why are we so blind to things that hurt people?
Do we really realize what we have done only after the person has taken their own life?
Why do we have to wait until that time?
I asked that on my Twitter page a couple days ago, and you've all responded greatly via email or Tumblr or Twitter. It was interesting to read: some were from victims of bullies. Some were bystanders who stood up and some who chose to walk away, thinking that it was none of their business. Some of the people that answered me were the bullies, some remorseful and some still quite angry. Here's what you all had to say.. I tried to put down as many as I could, especially the meaningful ones:
"I used to bullied because I was an immigrant. I was born in Iran and I moved to the Seattle area with my family when I was 10. When I was about 12 people in my class started bullying me, calling me things like 'terrorist' and telling me that 'my type of people' were the ones that were killing the American soldiers in the war. It is terrible. I had to switch schools many times until I found a place that would stop harassing me and would take me the way I was." "Bullying is so stupid, and I just wish that it would stop. My cousin took his own life when he was 15 because he was being called things like' fag' and 'queer', just because he was the only guy in show choir at my school. He liked girls, he was never gay, and he never had a problem with gay people. The limits that people go to and the lines that people cross.. it's disgusting." "There is this girl that gets bullied because of her religion. She wears a head wrap because it is part of her religion. People make fun of her and say that it is ugly. I wish that I could do something to stop it. She has moved schools now, but I always feel guilty because I didn't do anything to stop this unacceptable behaviour." "I used to bully people. I always thought that I was right, and I prided myself on being the more powerful guy in the class. Honestly, I didn't realize how badly I had hurt some people. I didn't care about getting suspended, or detention or getting some PE class rights away. After a while, I had gotten expelled from my high school for bullying and beating up a kid. Trying to get into another school with that kind of past behind you is extremely difficult. I get it now that I messed up. Now I'm in my senior year, and even though I am the quarterback of the football team at my new school, many of the college scouts for scholarships know that I have been expelled and suspended for bullying and misconduct, because it is required that they know. This ruins my future, and I have ruined other peoples' futures as well. To all the people that I have ever teased, bullied, beat up or made fun of: I AM SO SORRY. I apologize from the depths of my hearts...I wished that I could turn things around and make it better." "Standing up to a bully was probably the scariest thing that I have ever done in my life here in middle school. I didn't even know if I would get any support from other bystanders or if doing this would make me the next victim of the bully. I was afraid of that. But standing up to that bully made me strong, and to my surprise, many people got behind me. All of a sudden the bully was being taken down by the bystanders, and like you said before, that doesn't happen very often. That bully never made comment at anyone again! She switched schools." "My family situation was pretty bad: my mom was cheated on by my dad and my mom had a drinking problem, so it was rough growing up. I guess since I was feeling insignificant at school made me want to feel more superior at school. That was my power trip, which led me to bullying other guys. I've been in counselling for the longest time after realizing that I have no friends because I was being such a bad person. I want to sincerely apologize to any boy and girl that I have bullied. I understand if you can't forgive me."
I just want everyone to remember this: YOU ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL, UNIQUE, AMAZING, AND WONDERFUL INDIVIDUALS. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past. I don't care if you have been the bully and you are confessing now or if you are the victim that is thinking up ways to take down the person that made your life hell everyday, or the bystander that chose not to say anything. WE ARE ALL IMPERFECT, but what can make us closer to the perfect side of things is the things that we choose to say, do, or type on the worldwide web. Take care that you make the right choices to be the best possible person that you could possibly be in this life. Take all these testimonies as a sign that any person, no matter if you are the bully or the bullied, all has been touched in different ways by bullying.
Let's work together to make this world a better place!
Please also go to my Tumblr page and read my testimony there about when I was bullied and my talk about Amanda Todd here. If you are on Tumblr yourself, please like or reblog to your followers. We need to spread the word around!
Well, that's it for me on my front. I still have French homework to do! It's going to be a very busy weekend.. hope the rain isn't making too many people feel down. :) I promise to attack your questions again the next time I get the chance!
To sign off, here is my adorable music pal (I wish!) Josh Groban in his song "Higher Window" from his most recent album "Illmuniations". I have recently developed a major liking to his music and his CDs... his voice, his falsetto, his songs, his lyrics.... <3
STAY OUT OF TROUBLE AND DON'T FORGET TO SMILE! Stop the bullying, because no one deserves to live in hell on earth.
So for some reason or another I'm having weird nightmares... anyone have any idea on how to stop them? I've tried many different things but I keep getting them every night. It's strange.
Here we go, I got a couple Tumblr questions.. let the Q and A begin :)
Q: Do you think it would be wrong for me to go out with my friend's ex of 6 months? I really like him, he really likes me, and my friend hates him because he despised her family. They borke up because of that. What do you think? - Stuck in the Middle, via Tumblr
JAAG: Hmmm, it seems to me that you truly are stuck in the middle as your nickname implies. Here's the thing: it's kind of unspoken rule that you don't date a friend's ex, no matter how long, no matter who hates whom or who broke up with whom. It kinda sucks for the other party. Plus, this girl hates this guy? And you want to date him? She may not be too jealous of the fact that you and her ex are a bit of a thing now, but she may get a little jealous when she wants to hang out with strictly you and you already have a date night planned... and let's just say that a date with both your new boyfriend and your best friend may be a little more than awkward. Ultimately it's your choice: how much do you value the friendship, and how much do you value the relationship that you have with this boy? How much are you willing to risk in this friendship for this boy that likes you back? Think about it, and talk to your friend about it too before you do anything that may split you two apart.
Q: Every time I get a new piece of clothing, my boyfriend harps on me for it and says it's ugly. He is always insisting that I go shopping with him so that he can tell me what looks good on me. He says that he is concerned for my image... and I'm starting to wonder if that's true. - Not Model Enough, via Tumblr
JAAG: You and I are on the same wavelength, so that's a good sign. It's good that you realize that this guy may be thinking more about his image than yours. If he really did care about you, this image thing would have never surfaced. You need to be straight with him: Ask him for a couple pointers and hear him out for a bit, but also be firm and tell him that you don't appreciate when he calls your new clothes 'ugly'. After you tell him so, give him some time to readjust his hateful mouth. If there is no change, you may need to reconsider this relationship and find someone that will love you for all of you and not just your clothes!
Q: There is this girl that I really like, but she is a year older than I am. I heard that she doesn't date younger guys, but she is really, really nice. I see her all the time in the library after school reading something like "War and Peace" or "Oliver Twist", books that I'm into (I'm a geek, I know). I'm afraid to approach her, but I want to talk to her and maybe get her to like me back. What should I do? - The Library boy, via Tumblr
JAAG: Just be yourself! That's all I can tell you to. Be brave, be bold and make a comment about the book that she is reading... then maybe you two can have a nice conversation over something you both enjoy!
Well that's a wrap for now, apparently I am strapped for time... stay out of trouble and don't forget to smile! happy thanksgiving everyone!
