I Just Need to Let It Out !

[mermaidmeaghan99]

My name is Meaghan, I am in 9th grade, and i just need to let something out. This may have happened to you once and you may relate to my story in some way. One day a group of boys were laughing in the corner of the room, really loud when I walked in. Then another girl showed me the photo they were laughing about, it was a photo of a mermaid tail, and it was mocking my hobby. The next day my class was in health, and my teacher was telling us that we could write down what we wanted to learn about in this class. I rased my hand to ask if I could write down marine animals, (because I wanted to know more about fish) because I did not know if my teacher only wanted us to only write down subjects that involved human things. When I asked, my good friend sitting next to me said "no she wants to learn about mermaids". and the whole class laughed at me, even my friends. Other kids said snear remarks about it like "I swim with the dolphins" and such. I was so upset that I was almost paralized in my chair, and I started to cry I did not know what to do. When the teacher saw me crying, he asked me to come up. He asked me what was wrong (what the heck, he saw the whole thing!!) and I told him he said "your right that was mean" (duhhh) and I left.

Well thats my story. Stupid kids making fun of another.

I just needed to let it out

[Mermaid Celissa]

Aw, I'm sooo sorry Meaghan! I'm right behind you as an eighth grader, so I've gotten a good deal of taunts. I've learned to grin and bear it, and.if someone says something about it, laugh about it. I know it's hard, but getting upset can only make it worse sometimes. If you want, you can join the chatbox and chat with me. ILY!

[Mermaid Cascada]

I'm in ninth grade too! :D The best way too look at it is haters gonna hate and some kids are just mean but when they start making fun of you say "I'm sorry your so insecure about yourselves you want too make other people feel bad too." Or If they say things like "I swim with dolphins" You can say that's cool. Try to kill them with kindness and not sink down to their slimy level. And if someone says a rude remark you can say "Well, when people say things like that its usually because they are sad, insecure, or jealous. I don't know which ones going on with you but to fix your problem, maybe you should get a some help." Also don't let them get to you because if you think about it, what they say to you is really just words. I understand words can hurt your feeling but look at who it's coming from... (probably not the brightest people.) Always remember that you're awsome and thier hurtful words can't change that.
Keep swimming
-Kimmie a.k.a Mermaid Cascada
:)

[Bellasea]

I know how it feels. I have had a teacher ridicule me in front of the class because of being a mermaid. Just remind yourself of why you love mermaid, and what it means to be a mer. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Just laugh it off, or respond with thank you for your suggestion, or everyone is entitled to their opinion.

[Elle]

Everything will be alright in the end, and if it is not alright then it is not the end :)

[telzey.amberdon]

You are Mer, now you have to figure out what that means to you. And no, some people should not be allowed to have opinions.

[Ayla of Duluth]

Ah, high school was quite the b!tc#. I doubt you'll find any level of maturity there. the key is to keep your head up, hold on to what you believe, and ignore everyone. focus on your work and the bullies will soon find other people to mess with.

[Merman Dan]

I agree with the folks here. Follow your heart and do not be disheartened by the unenlightened masses. :) (and yes, I am a near-47 year old merman)

[Artisankatie]

You'll be ok, Meaghan!
Find a teacher you like and tell them about it, how long it's been going on and what happened when the other teacher spoke to you about it. Never be ashamed of being more interesting than everyone else! If it makes you feel better, I'm a 23 year old professional mermaid and teenagers still think they're cool if they tease me when they see me :P it just doesn't bother me because I can think of all the cool stuff I've been able to do (and had someone else pay for) that they'll never get to do!

If people do make specific comments to you, ask them 'what's wrong with that?' and watch them struggle to find a reason :P because there's NOTHING wrong with your hobby :) and it takes a special (usually a very clever) person to be bored with 'normal' hobbies. What are their hobbies? Probably boring ones!

There might be lots of people at your school that want to be mermaids and don't realise they can do it, or think they'll be teased - so you might be paving the way for them to follow their dreams, and you might even find some new friends :)

And don't forget - you can always come back to MerNetwork and find people even 'weirder' than you are ;)

[Winged Mermaid]

The fact is that people who actively make fun of, tease, and bully others are the ones who have terrible issues and insecurities within themselves. They may seem brave, but in fact they are very cowardly. Ever notice it's all the people who are brave enough to be different and stay true to themselves (and what they love) that always get picked on? I found that a lot of people who made fun of me in high school were envious and even jealous that I had the guts to be myself, because they didn't. Instead of finding out who they were, they wasted those years trying to "fit in" and regretting it ever since. Being truly happy is truly being yourself and loving and embracing that, no matter what anyone else thinks. Most people will tell you they wish they could have known that at the beginning of high school, that things would have been so much easier. But most times, you just have to learn it for yourself :) If you have that sense of respect for yourself and for things you're passionate about, it's much easier to take because their words don't really matter. Stick up for yourself, don't be ashamed in what you love and who you are, and they will be the ones that look like idiots!

[SilverSiren]

The fact is that people who actively make fun of, tease, and bully others are the ones who have terrible issues and insecurities within themselves. They may seem brave, but in fact they are very cowardly. Ever notice it's all the people who are brave enough to be different and stay true to themselves (and what they love) that always get picked on? I found that a lot of people who made fun of me in high school were envious and even jealous that I had the guts to be myself, because they didn't. Instead of finding out who they were, they wasted those years trying to "fit in" and regretting it ever since. Being truly happy is truly being yourself and loving and embracing that, no matter what anyone else thinks. Most people will tell you they wish they could have known that at the beginning of high school, that things would have been so much easier. But most times, you just have to learn it for yourself :) If you have that sense of respect for yourself and for things you're passionate about, it's much easier to take because their words don't really matter. Stick up for yourself, don't be ashamed in what you love and who you are, and they will be the ones that look like idiots!

100% Agree! Also, high school is so so soooooo stupid! It's a drop of water in the bucket compared to the rest of your life and you'll soon find that people who make fun of you like that now will be the ones who are looked down on later in life if they continue that behavior. I will never know why kids think it's cool to be a jerk but they soon realize that, in the real world, you can't get away with it. Also, you'll come to find that most people will admire you for having such passion for things you love and also be seen as a very unique individual for not being afraid of doing something a bit out of the ordinary. So, let them laugh it up, they are the ones without substance, passion, or character.

If the opportunity arrises again, as in the situation with the class and someone said "she wants to learn about mermaids!", say "Yeah, actually, I do! There are many cultures around the world who have many different takes on the mermaid myth, each unique to a certain peoples which would give us a good insight on how their culture perceived things.". That should impress the teacher and shut the idiots up and if it doesn't then it's still on them.

I know it's easier said than done, but just completely ignore them with the knowledge that they're really shallow, and focus on what is important to you, which should be grades and a solid passion for what you love... just ignore the rest because the rest doesn't matter! Don't even bother to look at them anymore, live as if they don't exist. I can guarantee that if Hanna Mermaid came to your school that the same people would make fun of her (behind her back of course) because they're sickeningly jealous, just like they are of you, because it's tough going through life without a passion for anything, you should pity them. Right, that was long winded and running, hope that helps.

[Mermaid Momo]

i'm in 11th grade now, but when i was in 6th grade, this happened to me. But i didn't make it easy on them. Every time they remarked about me swimming with sharks and dolphins and that i should go back to the ocean, i would always say something like " darn skippy i swim with the sharks, let me see YOU try that!" or " i would go back to the ocean but the dumb humans are polluting it." (i'm nice until it calls for a cynical remark, because i can be really really sarcastic when i feel like it)i found out that the best thing to do for me especially when everyone already knows about your interest in mermaiding and mermaids is not to say you don't like them or to just take their mocking, you can say something that basically means heck yeah i like mermaids! haters gonna hate! because i've learned that people will push harder when they know they've struck a chord or got emotion out of you and once they see that you don't really care, or you find them amusing, they'll lay off. (and did i mention, when is smile after someone's remarks, or giggle, or say how funny they are, they seem to want to drop it, yeah I feel a little bit bad for embarrassing them in front of their friends or making them feel like idiots there for my amusement, but hey, they brought it on themselves)

[Elle]

And might I add, what's wrong with swimming with dolphins / whales / sharks. you go to seaworld or the local aquarium and there is always some guy or girl who spends most of their day in a big tank with fish and such and they don't even get cool outfits. Having a tail is much cooler than a scuba outfit :)

[Ashe]

Im so sorry that happened to you! Same exact thing happened to me, so im right there with you. It will blow away soon and those bi*ches will find something new to make fun of. You know what Drama stands for? Dumb Retards Asking for More Attention!! Most of us have had this experience at least once, but we've all gotten through it with each other :)

[Mermaid Saphira]

I'm really sorry this happened to you. So many people in the world fins the need to make fun of some one else because they are jealous and what not. People just can not accept differences and we can't all me "cookie cutter cut outs"!! Although I use to go through people making fun if me I have learned to accept that i am who I am and I shouldn't change myself to fit in the eyes of others :)

[MerAnthony]

I'm really sorry this happened to you. So many people in the world fins the need to make fun of some one else because they are jealous and what not. People just can not accept differences and we can't all me "cookie cutter cut outs"!! Although I use to go through people making fun if me I have learned to accept that i am who I am and I shouldn't change myself to fit in the eyes of others :)
I am 100 % with you on this Saphira . Whe I started to swim In my tail I got a few snide remarks then others said Just brush it off. You are better than they are And you know it. Don't let them bother you. Do what's in your heart and what you feel that is correct. They don't understand and most likely never will. So I say swim till your hearts content and keep going. You have our support and maybe some more out there.

[AnnaAbyss]

It happens to me too, from my family though. Although my Mum supports me :3. Thankfully I haven't gotten teased at school (yet), and I hope it never happens. Just better not let anyone know about it... I'm in Year 8 but meant to be in Year 9. I used to get bullied a lot... I know what you're going through. <3

[SeaGlass Siren]

ah immature highschoolers... the few, the proud, the degenerate dumbf***s... (pardon my french but i hate bullies. i was totally in your shoes before and i feel your pain. i'm 21 now)

remember, never feel arsed to explain yourself to people who don't understand you because they probably will not want to understand you and will make fun of you anyway. and ALWAYS GIVE THEM A TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE.


if it makes you feel any better, you could always tell them "embracing my inner-child is at least better than being a whore and a bully"

[Spindrift]

Right, because being a whore and a bully is the same thing. With a crappy comeback like that kids at school will just think she's lame AND bitter. I don't understand why people have the inclination to play dirty when other people strike low. It just creates more assholes.

Meaghan, you're a beautiful girl. I was the outsider when I was your age. I'm sure many mers on this forum have felt this way. I know this is really hard to do, but the best advice I can really give at this point is to embrace being a mermaid in front of your peers (but not necessarily rub it in their faces). I find that a video of yourself swimming in an amazing tail or with cool sea creatures shuts people like that up pretty quick. And you're doing a great service to the ocean by being interested and more involved with ocean issues - something that can really help you with your college apps, actually, when you start focusing on that in the coming years. You're better than them, so there's no way they should be able to make you feel inferior. People are naturally drawn to and look up to seemingly confident people. Once your classmates realize that 1) you're not quitting and 2) you're doing awesome, they'll either leave you alone for it, or applaud you.

[Lotus]

Meaghan, please please remember something- You will be picked on for being different. I was absolutely TORTURED growing up for all kinds of things- laughed at for the music I liked, for not being SUPER skinny, for riding a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket, having short hair, not being tan, you name it, I got railed on for it. It EFFING SUCKS. BUT, keep this is mind- those things you are chided for are what you will be celebrated for later on. Most kids pick on others because they are afraid to be different themselves. Putting the spotlight on you just averts the one they are afraid to stand in themselves. You're going to be ok, I promise. Don't ever let anyone make you feel like you're bad for being different. Much much love!!

[SeaGlass Siren]

Right, because being a whore and a bully is the same thing. With a crappy comeback like that kids at school will just think she's lame AND bitter. I don't understand why people have the inclination to play dirty when other people strike low. It just creates more assholes.

Thats how I coped with it. She shouldnt have to be able to put up with their carp. Sometimes you have to get dirty with the people spreading the dirt, even if it does sound lame and bitter, even if it makes you an ass, even if it makes you like them! But I refuse to allow her to sit back and do nothing. But that's my opinion. (as bitter as I sound)

[Lotus]

But you also shouldn't feel like lashing out is the right thing to do if it's not who you are. True rebellion happens in the mind, and freedom comes when you learn to let go and forget the people who are too ignorant to see you for your own unique beauty. I personally found that when I turned my pain to anger it just alienated me that much more and and made the pain more intense. No one respected me more for being a bully too..... and when said d-bags stopped having the power to make me cry, they left me alone, for I was a waste on time to them. And that was just fine with me..... the bottom line here is that, ultimately you need to be ok with yourself. It's tough, but it's worth it. If fighting back is your style, do it, if not, don't. But don't let anyone tell you how to act or how to feel. We are all just trying to let you know that you have a suport system here. WE will listen, and we just want you to be ok. :)

[Spindrift]

I guess I personally have never felt that acting in that way has ever been effective or has done me any good, even if it feels good to be angry sometimes. In the end your feelings will always be hurt and denial makes you sour.

[Lotus]

@spindrift- well said! :)

[SeaGlass Siren]

Everyone has different ways of dealing with it. Lotus is right. (relevant/irrelevant topic ish, I lived in Jane and finch and that area is notorious. so it was either be bullied or bully back.) I guess it really depends.

[Lotus]

I totally see that, Andrea, it DOES depend. I grew up in a place where hitting back just made people think you were a silly brat and made things worse. My husband grew up in a place where if you didn't hit back, you got your ass handed to you. It's all very circumstantial. Choose your path. Just be safe, and don't feel alone. You have many alies who can relate.

[Merrow Fair Isle]

I guess I personally have never felt that acting in that way has ever been effective or has done me any good, even if it feels good to be angry sometimes. In the end your feelings will always be hurt and denial makes you sour.


Very well put. I was different growing up...started kindergarten a year early , then was skipped after a week of 1st grade straight up to 2nd. This made me 2 years younger than my classmates. Compound that with being small, shy, and a fast learner...it was the perfect storm. When I tried to mouth back, things were worse...so I just started being kind no hat was thrown at me. Not only did I feel better for not sinking to yhier level, I can now look back and be proud that I never caused someone else pain like was I went through. The truth is, years later, I found out that many of the worst offenders in terms of being hard on me were having an even worse existance in thier home lives. They didn't have the homelife or any emotional support to help,them deal with those issues. Some were even emmulating the treatment they recieved at home, thinking it was normal to be cruel. It's great to,stand up fot yourself...but to do it in a way that drops you to,a level that , someday, you would look back upon with shame and embarrasment isn't the answer. I garuntee that someday in the future those that pick in you will look back with regret.

[Nyx]

I'm an 11th grader and let me tell you have I been there. But my best piece of advice, just like everyone said, is to ignore them. I have always been very open about all my hobbies (cosplay, mermaiding, etc) from the very beginning and though at first many made fun of me for them (and still do) it has gotten a lot better. Don't let their words bother you because the main reason they tease you is to make themselves stronger and cover their own insecurities. Just keep swimming right along happily because when they see that you are joyful being who you are, no matter how bizarre it might be in the eyes of society, they start to loose interest in teasing. Some still will just to amuse themselves and their friends, but that should never be your problem, because if you love what you do and are successful then they have no valid argument against it. Never let anyone shatter or stop on your dreams just because they think it's weird or dorky, the best people in the world are those who are willing to live their dreams and imaginations, no matter what the rest of the world has to say about it.