Tease(88)

It made me incredibly sad—and still does—that the kids in these stories are kids. As a teenager you’re so close to being an adult, and in many ways you have all the responsibilities of one. But you also—or you’re supposed to—have your whole life ahead of you too. It’s the time we try new things and make mistakes. It’s the time we get deeply hurt, say hurtful things, and learn to apologize. It’s the incredibly crucial time when we learn that other people are also hurting, are also victims. We learn that life is complicated, and our version of the story isn’t the only version.

I wish we had better tools to deal with bullying. I certainly don’t know what the answer is, and I know the problem grows more complicated as our methods of communication grow vaster and more unwieldy. But it seems to me that there’s always more to the story—at least two sides, if not four or seven or one hundred. And I believe that everyone deserves to be heard.