BeFriends4One: Supporting April Friends Day

IMPASSIONED AND INSPIRED
By Jonathan E. McCoy

It has been said that “words can't hurt”, but actually they can; far more than sticks and stones. Words, in some instances can actually kill; emotionally, socially and physically. When people intimidate and ridicule others who generally cannot help themselves, and when perpetrators cause others to hurt themselves it is bullying.
One of the most disturbing things of my day is bullying; but the more it is exposed, and wrongdoers are penalized for their actions, the sooner we can stop acts of bullying one community at a time.
I understand the effects of being bullied since I have been bullied most of my life, but my parent’s support helped me to work through each ordeal, and every incident ended with the bully at least respecting my distinctiveness. Every victim of bullying is not so fortunate.
My reality of bullying became vivid when I met the mother of a boy, who like me was bullied most of his life. However, the consequences for him were far more devastating. Jeffrey Allan Michalenka’s life inspired me to share his story because he isn’t alive to tell it. You see, Jeffrey took his life at the age of 16 because he could no longer endure the agony of being bullied by those who refused to just let him be. Instead they taunted him.
On that fateful day Jeffrey returned from school and announced to his mother that it was “the worst day of my life.” Can you imagine such a thing at 16-years-of-age when life is on the brim of beginning? Though Jeffrey refused to share the details of his day, his mom later learned that he had been the subject of a horrible social network rumor that humiliated him to death. Words spoken about Jeffrey really did hurt.
After speaking at an anti-violence conference in Providence, Jeffrey’s mom, Deborah Michalenka approached me and shared how inspired she was by my presentation. After hugging me she reached in her purse and handed me with a commemorative badge Jeffrey had received from his martial arts school. I told her I couldn’t take something that I was sure meant so much to her. She told me I must receive it because my words meant so much to her. I was humbled by her kindness. I felt as if Jeffrey had died in the fight of his life and I was passed the baton to fight against the ills that trouble hundreds of thousands of youth like Jeffrey.

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” –Matthew 20:26, 27 (NIV)
I am impassioned and inspired to help and serve the need of others.

Today marks the first day of National Anti-Bullying Month. Promote anti-bullying all month loooooooooooooooooong!