January 22nd, 2020
This is a post on bullying. And it’s inspired by The Bachelor. And it actually makes a good point. I promise.
I love a lot of things, and I especially love a lot of pop culture things. And my entertainment adoration causes me to think too much about them, but the end result is I can find deep, meaningful truths in places where you would assume there were none.
Like The Bachelor.
There’s this girl on the show, named Hannah Ann. From the moment she appeared, in a funnel of smoke and reeking of sulfur, I did not trust her.
Then there’s this other girl on the show, named Kelsey. She, like most everybody else, also does not trust Hannah Ann.
This post immediately leads you to believe that I am going to write about how Hannah Ann is a bully.
What I’m about to write is that, more often than not, you and I often make ourselves the bullies without even realizing it.
So, Kelsey brought a special bottle of champagne with her from Iowa (and, yes, I see the inconsistencies in that sentence already). Hannah Ann, whether she knew it was Kelsey’s bottle or not, opened it for herself and the Bachelor to share. Kelsey was, rightfully, mad. Kelsey felt wronged, and she has the right to her feelings, and she felt like Hannah Ann was a bad person.
So what did she do?
She called her out, and called her names, and did everything she could in her power to make Hannah Ann feel small.
Now, if Hannah Ann IS a bad person, then what’s wrong with that?
The answer is everything.
There are people in your life that you do not like, period. How do you treat them? Because if it’s any less than you would treat a stranger or regular acquaintance, then I am sorry to say: you are the bully.
“But they’re mean to me!” “But they’re lazy!” “But they’re stupid!” “But I JUST. DON’T. LIKE. THEM.”
Regardless of who they are, how you treat them defines who you are.
If this hits close to home — good. It did for me.
Hannah Ann might be a not-so-great person. But Kelsey’s treatment of her makes her a bully.
Don’t be a Kelsey.
Watch The Bachelor.
The Den 