You Are Not Alone

Author: Wiem Askri

As a kid, I was bullied on many occasions. There was no specific reason for it, seeing as how bullying can never be justified. It is nothing short of emotional or physical abuse that can leave its victims scarred. Excuses from bullies can range from “It was just for fun”, “I did not mean to make him feel bad”, to “I called them that name for a laugh. That’s all”.

While this may be the case, words hold power and are stronger than imagined. From a person who has experienced bullying, here is my advice to you, whether you are being bullied or have witnessed it.

http://bullyingpreventionnow.com

1)     Listen. Sometimes, just listening to someone’s problems can alleviate stress instead of pushing him/her to talk about it. They might not open up so easily, feel secure, or comfortable enough to trust you. Listening can break through that emotional wall. Once they develop the courage to talk, let them. Hear them out and be a good listener. Allow them to vent and release whatever is weighing them down. After they have spoken, help them calm down. You can do this by telling them how much you appreciate them, and reassuring them that they are respected and loved. Bullying can damage a person’s self-esteem and diminish their confidence. Be positive in your conversation and let them know they have a friend in you.

2)     Do not be afraid of the bullies. Speak to them and challenge their intentions. Understanding their behavior might help you overcome their patterns. Regardless of the conversation with them, do not resort to violence. Violence does not solve anything. If the bullying persists, or the situation escalates to a level you cannot handle by yourself, speak to someone who is older. Seek help from an adult, teacher, counselor, or parent. Chances are, they know how to handle this situation and can assist you.

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In conclusion, if you notice the normal behavior of a classmate or friend has changed (e.g. depression, always on edge, shuts people out) say something. You might be the only “hero” they did not realize they needed.  Stay positive and have an open heart to helping others. You never know whose life you could save.

Bromance – Dillon Ascencio

So…

… A few weeks ago, Tiffany asked me to write an article on brotherhood. At first I thought it would be extremely easy, I mean how hard does it sound right? But then as the days went on I began to think a lot about this topic and found it very difficult. I thought to myself, what truly is brotherhood? Brotherhood, the way I see it, is having a group of friends who always have your back. You’ll always know tons of people. People you meet at school, work, concerts, people you meet through other friends, but that one group of people you are closest too remains with you through thick and thin. For me, my group consists of males and females.

When something bad happens to me I can count on them to be there for me. I can count on them to support me in any decisions I make, whether they agree or disagree with them because as long as I am happy, they are happy. I can count on them to take my mind off of any stressful situation just by hanging out with them for a few minutes. I can count on them to always be there for me if I need someone to talk to no matter how early or how late it is. Even though the term is brotherhood, I see my female friends as equally important and close to me as my male friends are. I have met a lot of people throughout my life, but for years I can’t seem to shake away this wild and crazy group of people I call my brothers and sisters. We’ve all gotten into arguments with each other, laughed together, handled stressful situations together, partied together, and years later we’ve only grown closer to each other.

==> When you can turn to a person and seriously consider them your brother or sister, you know they hold a special place in your heart. For those who read this article and decide to add me on facebook you will notice that my middle name is Dyho. A lot of people ask “what is Dyho?” or “what does it stand for?”. Dyho stands for Dance Your Heart Out. It is a crew that was formed by one of my friend’s in my group named David. Dyho represents the love, trust, and friendship of me and everyone that I call my brother and sister. While our form of dancing(moshing) is not really recognized as a form of dance to many people, we’ve taken this group and label ourselves with Dyho to show that we are one group. When we go to concerts or we hang out we are one group, we are all apart of Dyho and we are all there for each other through good times and bad.

Whether you have only one best friend or you have a group of close friends like I do, everyone always needs someone they can trust with anything and can count on to be there for them. Besides our family members, they are the most important people in our lives and having someone will make life a lot easier to go through.

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===========> If anyone has any questions about anything please feel free to contact me at d.asencio2010@gmail.com or my facebook page Dillon Asencio. If you are in a rock band or know …a band that are looking for shows please feel free to email the Last Stand Promotions email account at laststandpromotions@gmail.com. I hope that reading this will inspire someone!! <===========