You would think that as you mature, celebrate birthday after birthday,  that the bullies in life would fade away,  that being an adult means having some semblence of respect for other human beings.  Oh, how naive I have been...

When I was a kid and later a teenager, I dealt with the torment of bullies on an almost daily basis.  From the classroom where I was teased for knowing all my Spanish vocabulary words to having read half of my new history textbook before the first week of school was up; the teasing was relentless.  It happened on the soccer field where I was the smallest or next to the smallest chasing after the ball.  The bullies were in band with me, at work after class got out, everywhere.  Where did these people come from I often wondered. 

Now I find myself at 23 and once again being brought to the brink of tears (and sometimes beyond) by bullies.  My usual smile and air of kindness may someday win them over but for the time being, I've got to suck it up and plow ahead.  I may have no idea what I did to anger someone to where he feels the need to humiliate me in front of my peers, nor may I have a clear understanding as to why I once again feel like the loner. 

I will take this as a humbling experience and try to learn from it.  Perhaps dealing with those who are bullies in the adult world will toughen up  my already thick skin.  I know this won't be the last time I encounter bullies in the working and military world; therefore, I'll keep in mind what my fiance tells me when I'm stressed, "Be Army Strong!"

You can count on it.