When I was young, I was incredibly awkward. In early grade school, I literally didn't talk to anyone. My first teachers thought I a had a learning disability. I used to sit in my front yard alone and stare at the dirt for hours at a time. I didn't have a single friend that was outside of my imagination. I can not tell you the name of one other child or teacher from school from that time period. As far as school goes, it's almost like those first 9 years didn't happen.

My father was a very troubled man, not longed for this world. He didn't make "good decisions". When I was 7, he was dating a 17 year old. So naturally, we were fleeing the state together to keep him out of trouble for being with a minor. Now I was a strange child in a new school, in a strange place. I don't remember much about my childhood, but I do remember the time a kid twice my size threw me against a wall and I broke my arm in 3 places. It hurt. The pain was pretty bad, but what what hurt the most was the fact that I didn't know this kid. I never did anything to him. I was completely innocent. I felt bullied. Why would he do this? Later I would see him again in a court room crying. And then, I felt sorry for him. Imagine that.

When I was ten, CPS, took me away from my father. I spent some time living in a scary building for children without homes. Eventually, they found my mother and she took me to live with her. I didn't speak for weeks. I didn't know this woman. I wanted to be with my dad, not this stranger. I was very angry. This was the story of the snowflake.

I started to come online in fifth grade. Today I could show you a picture of my class and tell you almost everyone's name. Suddenly I was present in the world. I even made a few friends. We called ourselves the class clowns. Suddenly, I couldn't shut up. I would get in trouble daily for talking in class nonstop with my new best friend. He was a "real" friend. His name was Richard. 💚

This changed everything. Now I had an partner. We went everywhere together. He was a strange sensitive soul like me. He lifted me up and made me feel real. We would get to school early to look at books in the library. We shared all of our secrets with each other. I finally felt safe to be a human child in a human child place.

There were still bullies. And now, even I could be a bully! With the help of my new friend, I could also put people down in order to feel better about myself. But who was safe to bully? We found a pair of outcasts. One was fat, and one was skinny. Since one was fat, we knew we could outrun them as a pair. And the skinny one couldn't do anything about it on his own. So we followed them around, mocking them with Bulk and Skull theme song sounds. Shout out to the Power Rangers. There was another kid that was so strange, I could even bully him all on my own. I once saw him sitting alone playing with his own snot on the concrete. He was also mentally retarded. Yeah, now I was the kid that picked on that kid. He got it the worse. There was a boy from Cambodia that was always sitting alone. He once told us a story about pooping in holes where he came from. This was hilarious, so naturally, we laughed at him every chance we got. Yep, the snowflake had become the bully. I was putting people down to build myself up and while it may I have felt good in a way, I always knew it wasn't me.

Since those early days, I have grown up a lot. I have exhausted myself with self reflection. I have journeyed around the world, seeking to better understand myself. And I now know, just like the bullies that hurt me, I was in a lot of pain most of my younger years. I have forgiven myself for hurting others. Now I stand up for the underdog and no bully will ever have power over me again.

Here on Stacker News, there are some bullies.

I can think of one.

They need not be named.

There is no reason to name them.

Consider that for a moment.

There are many people on SN that are able to educate and offer value, while also being able to listen with compassion and lift others up. In fact, there are too many to list. Bitcoin and SN is full of loving individuals. We don't need gatekeepers. Bitcoin will be just fine with out any one of us judging who is "smart" enough to make the cut our earn a "badge".

There is no reason for this to go on. The beautiful thing about stacker, is we all get a vote.

So please help me. Be brave! Speak up. Downzap when you see disrespectful behavior, regardless of how popular the perpetrator is. Stand up for those who are being put down and pushed away simply because they aren't there yet when it comes to Bitcoin. We were all new to Bitcoin at some point. Stop defending bullies. Stop with the, "ohh, that's just how they are", nonsense. We ALL deserve better. We can make a change here. We can nurture a community that fosters diversity and educates all at the same time. There is NEVER a good reason to put others down. We only need love and kindness. Bitcoin is love in money form. So let's respect Bitcoin by doing what we know is right. And let's share everything, not just "the corn". Think bigger! Bitcoin and stacker news are for the whole world. We should aim to be inclusive and expansive.

Please help me.

Please share your stories about being bullied or being a bully. Is anyone out there like me, both a bully and a snowflake? If I am a overly sensitive, tell me about that. Be vulnerable. Be honest. Be open. Please zap⚡⚡⚡ this post so it can reach more eyeballs.

And please, always be respectful. I love you all. Have a beautiful day.

💚🪄🙏