I was singled out and bullied in elementary school. It was terrible. I was the “fat” kid in the 70s when the kids weren’t fat. When I look at pictures, I don’t even look fat! I just wasn’t skinny.

I used to think I snapped, but now that I’m older, I think I was probably bipolar back then. In 7th grade, I decided to “get them.” Fortunately, I couldn’t catch them, but I tried. One of them put her shoe on the back of my chair on my hair and raked down, yanking my hair and head. I jumped up and chased her sorry ***. I was going to beat the tar out of her if I caught her, and she and her friends could tell. They screamed and were saying OMG. I don’t know if I really would have hit her if I caught her. I’ve never actually been in a fight, but that is what I had decided the next time anyone tried anything!

Then a boy shoved my friend out of her chair, and I got him. I stepped on his foot and shoved him backwards, and he hit the ground in the lunch room. when he started yelling, I stomped on his malt and it shot across the floor. I thought I was going to get in trouble because he told on me, but I didn’t.

None of them bothered me again.

Today I would be in trouble. My daughter says you aren’t allowed to fight back in school.

At work, several years ago, one of my coworkers was mean to the admin assistants. I don’t remember this at all, but my friend told me that I asked him who told him he could treat people like that, and where did he learn to act like that? She said I scared him <shrugs>.

The only thing I remember is telling him in an email that I did not appreciate his tone or demeanor when he was talking to me.

He was very alarmed as I recall.