<< Please visit www.thehungersite.com Here, you can donate cans of food to those in need, without forking out a single penny. The donations are paid for by sponsors. >> Now That's Entertainment . . . Issue # 17 [[ WARNING: The following piece contains material, opinions and/or language that may offend or not be suitable for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.]] "Teasing and Trauma..." In "A Joseph Planta Commentary", dated the 21st of March, Eugene Lee commented on the recent suicide of some Hamed fellow in Surrey. Hamed was taunted and teased pretty much throughout his educational career up to his unfortunate demise. It is sad to see anything like this ever happen, but Eugene selfishly used this as a launching pad to further his own endeavours. Granted, Eugene gets teased now and again by my fellow classmates, but so does everyone else. The way I see it, and Joseph Planta told me that he basically agrees, is that Eugene used his "piece" that was posted up on the Commentary, to try to get himself some sympathy. Well, he ain't getting that from me. He was trying to get all of us here, who may have at one time at another teased him, and I'll admit I have, to stop. Maybe I will do that. I never really picked on him verbally, insulting him face to face, but I did snub him every once in a while. I was never one to really take things all that seriously. I either take things way too seriously or not at all. Everybody gets teased at some point, be it during elementary school, high school, work, home, wherever and whenever. No matter where life's road may lead you, if you interact with people, if you're not some weirdo living in the middle of a forest all alone, you could very well be insulted or put down at some point or another. Every grade in every school always has a guy, or girl for that matter, who will dubbed the class "geek", so to speak. That person will be picked on, and at that Surrey school, it was Hamed. Unfortunately, Hamed couldn't take it, so he took his own life. No, I'm not some cold hearted guy who doesn't have an ounce of sympathy for this guy. I wholeheartedly believe that people shouldn't pick on people. People shouldn't put others down. However, the reality is, we don't live in an ideal world. People put other people down. The Romantics, a couple hundred years ago, believed in the instinctive goodness of man. I, being the pessimist, or "realist" that I am, believe in the instinctive "badness", so to speak, of man. People, in general, may be "good", but they generally will have an underlying "evil." If someone finds a hundred dollar bill on the ground, and no one is around, they will pick it up? Will they scream out, "Who left $100 here?!" No. I know that this could be a philosophical tangent that is totally unrelated, and maybe it is. Either way, people sometimes are "bad." Sometimes, some people are always bad. And all the time, someone could be picked on. I think it would take someone who is very weak-willed, or not of sane mind to take his/her life. Some people may be driven to the brink of insanity, and take their own life. Some people may have a weak will and can't put up with the slightest difficulties that life may throw them. I know this is a cliche, and it's real corny, but I've got to say it. "If life throws you a lemon, make lemonade." My dream is to make better lemonade than anyone else, but that's beyond the point. With all due respect to Hamed, you shouldn't let things like that get to you. I will admit that I have been, and somewhat still am, picked on at school. I've been dubbed a "geek", a "nerd" or whatever. It may have hurt at first, but I couldn't care less now. Illigimati non corrunbundum. Don't let the bastards keep you down. Use it as a launching pad. Use it as "juice" to get you riled up. In all honesty, "geeks" and "nerds" rule the world. Bill Gates is a "geek", a "nerd", a "dweeb"...whatever, but he's the richest fucking man alive. I know that terms like "gay" or "fag" have totally different connotations altogether, but the same holds true. Use it to your advantage. Fight fire with fire. An eye for eye. I know that this may not be the best philosophy to live by, and violence is not the answer. That is not what I'm trying to say. Vent your frustration, anger, melancholy, whatever you may feel, in a positive, productive manner. Live life to the fullest and don't let the bastards keep you down. Everybody is special or different or unique in their own way, and if some people don't like the way you turned out, the way you act or whatever, tough. They're stuck with you. Don't conform to society, do your own thing. Now, this is my own opinion, and it's not cut in stone, cut and dry. Do whatever you want, that's just what I think. It's my opinion and no one can take it away from me. ============================ © 2000 Michael Kwan. Reproduction, exhibition or distribution of the preceeding piece without the expressed written consent of the author(s) can result in severe criminal and civil penalties under international agreements. Subscribe: nowthatsentertainment-subscribe@eGroups.com Unsubscribe: nowthatsentertainment-unsubscribe@eGroups.com Comments/Questions: mkwan@canada.com