Courage Integrity Assertiveness Confidence Restraint

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

SKUNKS - they just spread the stink!



So, I have been thinking alot about SKUNKS.

Yuk!

I don't dislike the skunks, I guess.

But I do hate their STINK!

Here's the thing with SKUNKS:
  • they are carnivores - out for blood
  • they are sneaky and only lurk in the shadows - They simply aren't a very brave species because you rarely see them out from under a safe cover and when you do, they are running to hide behind something else
  • when threatened the SPRAY - a small amount goes a long way, their negative stench can be smelled for miles and can reach farther in a short amount of time than they could go on foot
  • they are the chief carrier of rabies - They are quick spread disease among their kind as well as other species who cross their paths
  • they have these really nasty sharp claws that they use to dig - They can find things below the surface by digging deeper than most species would care to take the time to do
  • they are loners - they can "coexist" with other carnivores but rarely allow themselves "close" to others of their kind or other species
  • we ignore them - we stay out of their way and we don't get sprayed, right?
So, you are asking.... why the conversation about SKUNKS?!

Think about the last person who said something unkind to you that was just UNCALLED FOR... SKUNK!

Think about that comment posted on your facebook that hurt.... SKUNK!

Think about the girl in school who always has a negative comment about other people... SKUNK!

Now, go back and re-read the description of SKUNKS and put those people in your mind in place of a furry little animal.

I have thought about this for a long time...

People who put others down, make fun of people, bully, etc are PUBLICLY ADMITTING that they have low self esteem.

They might as well have a shirt made:

So, when these kinds of people cross your path - although it is sad to watch them head down a dangerous path - sometimes it is best to just head the other way. Ignore. Look away. Avoid. Just like you would if they had a long black and white tail and a REALLY stinky BUTT!

So, this has me thinking:
Could we change the way we think about people who bully? What if we actually started to SEE their actions as a cry for help? Instead of seeing them as strong - their actions prove that they are weak - so, what if that's how we started to see them?

I am NOT suggesting that the rest of us start feeling SUPERIOR! I am just wondering if the bullies realized that their actions were alerting people that THEY THEMSELVES are INSECURE - maybe they would stop.

Maybe if more people knew that bullying was actually a clinical symptom of depression (this is true!), the kids who bully would get help quicker and before the problem got worse. Before they hurt someone or themselves. Maybe the bullies wouldn't act out if they knew WE knew what those actions were saying about the state of mind they were in.

So, this logo needs an acronym - what could the letters S.K.U.N.K stand for that would get this point across in a respectful yet creative way?

CONTEST!
The person who comes up with the BEST acronym wins THE FIRST T-SHIRT of its kind with YOUR acronym on it!

Send your entries in the comments section!

3 comments:

  1. This is great! It is so important, the work that you are doing. I lead a girls program myself (http://glitterandrazz.com/go-girls/) and these issues are, of course, at the heart of our work. I will be curious to follow what acronyms the girls come up with for S.K.U.N.K. Love it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So."Kidding".u.now.know
    Like how the bullys bully you then you go to talk to them about it and there like i was just kidding geez! and then the you. now. know is for like you now know that there lieing and they need some help! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Spiteful Kid Usually Needing Kindness

    I like this post, it's so true!

    ReplyDelete