The Worst Thing You Can Do

There are many things that are terrible to do to another human being. Torture, murder, lie, cheat, abuse, rob, the list can go on and on. Is there really an end? I could say any number of those things. But I will choose one that has happened to me.

You sit beside them during class. You talk to them at lunch. You know them and they know you. They don’t always make it obvious right away, that they judge you. That they don’t like you.

It happens one day. You’re in a gym class and you are excluded, pushed out. Last to be chosen, never get the ball unless by chance. You’re young. You don’t realize. Until you get older. Less people speak to you. More people bully you.

And you begin to realize, day by day. They don’t like you. Not because they know you, but because they don’t like the way you look. It stings but you try to ignore it. Until one day. You’re open. And a team member sees you. And then they look away, and pass to someone who isn’t.

The sting that you had managed to snuff out for all those years ignites again. And this time, no matter how hard you try to put it out, it stays lit. You tell people it’s no big deal, you’re used to it. This is how it’s been for as long as you can remember.

And slowly, the pain begins to fade. And then you’re pulled from your school. You miss the few friends you had there, so you email them. You remember how they once said that they read your last email. But when you never recieve a reply... you realize. They weren’t the friends you thought they were.

And this sting that you have quelched twice before, wants to light. But you refuse. Holding back the tears, you go about your day. But you know that eventually you will break. But until that moment, you glue the cracked pieces together and refuse to let anyone see how much you want to cry.

The worst thing you can do to someone is ignore them.