Around the ages of 12 to 16, I use to be so shy and quiet. I would go to school, and then come home and watch music videos or play video games. I only had a couple of friends during that time. When I was 13 I attended a gifted art program. I would go to RISD every Thursday and paint or sculpt. I was a bit of a rebel when I was 17 though. Mostly during school. Then when I was at my down time I would laugh....a lot. And everyone would tell me how sweet I was.

I remember the only concert I went to when I was a teenager was a Jamie Walters concert at the Warwick Mall. That was in 1995.

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I was much more social than I am now........ I hate what the world has become...... I dont go out hardily @ all really.......

I was much more social than I am now........ I hate what the world has become...... I dont go out haridly @ all really.......


Hm I know what you mean. The world's changed so much! But at least we have memories of how better things use to be.  :-\\

The new kid in town not feeling like I fit in.


Cat

A loner with (later diagnosed) social anxiety disorder who got picked on a lot for it, and also for being (or being perceived as) gay. I was actually suicidal when I was around 15/16, but that's for another post. I fortunately dug myself out of it.

I did really well in terms of academics though.

I liked playing Japanese import video games (and learning Japanese through them) and listening to Swedish metal and Japanese rock. I started learning Korean later on too. I actually got really far with that one (semi-fluent–although it has since waned), and ran a semi-popular Korean-learning blog for a bit.

I had a job as a grocery store cashier and shelf stocker. After school, I'd often take the train with my friends to a town with an East Asian mall, and we'd haul Japanese import games from there with our wages. I also loved and still love biking during the summer months. I miss having so much free time for that!

Yeah, I was ultra weird. But looking back, I'm happy I had eccentric hobbies like learning languages, and spent most my lunch breaks with my gaming friends, and not doing drugs/having unprotected sex or hanging out with the wrong crowd.  ::)  ...or worst yet, those who play video games in English. What a waste of time! :P

I do wish I got my SAD treated earlier, but oh well; the past is the past.  :P

A loner with (later diagnosed) social anxiety disorder who got picked on a lot for it, and also for being (or being perceived as) gay. I was actually suicidal when I was around 15/16, but that's for another post. I fortunately dug myself out of it.

I did really well in terms of academics though.

I liked playing Japanese import video games (and learning Japanese through them) and listening to Swedish metal and Japanese rock. I started learning Korean later on too. I actually got really far with that one (semi-fluent–although it has since waned), and ran a semi-popular Korean-learning blog for a bit.

I had a job as a grocery store cashier and shelf stocker. After school, I'd often take the train with my friends to a town with an East Asian mall, and we'd haul Japanese import games from there with our wages. I also loved and still love biking during the summer months. I miss having so much free time for that!

Yeah, I was ultra weird. But looking back, I'm happy I had eccentric hobbies like learning languages, and spent most my lunch breaks with my gaming friends, and not doing drugs/having unprotected sex or hanging out with the wrong crowd.  ::)  ...or worst yet, those who play video games in English. What a waste of time! :P

I do wish I got my SAD treated earlier, but oh well; the past is the past.  :P


I use to have SAD when I was in my early 20s. It was awful. I couldn't even speak on the phone! And like you, I slowly managed to get myself out of it. Glad you did the same!

Hm I know what you mean. The world's changed so much! But at least we have memories of how better things use to be.

Yea Jessie.... I remember going to the mall and going to the arcade..... It was fun!!

Now there is only garbage in any arcades!!!!!!! -- Nothing good @ all.... And they wonder why no one is in them??


They dont want anyone to have FUN anymore........ Its all really sad.........

Still secretly smart in the recesses of my mind, but I brainwashed myself to believe I had to dumb myself down in order to be happy.

Yea Jessie.... I remember going to the mall and going to the arcade..... It was fun!!

Now there is only garbage in any arcades!!!!!!! -- Nothing good @ all.... And they wonder why no one is in them??


They dont want anyone to have FUN anymore........ Its all really sad.........


I don't go to the mall at all.

As a teenager growing up, My Brother And I were almost always getting picked on by bullies. I could never fight back cause I was never the person to pick a fight or fight back with someone, that's the way I was. But now I'm in my mid 40's as a grown man I don't let bullies bother me at all anymore and if someone makes fun of me verbally or physically I just blow it off cause I choose not to fuss fight or argue.

As a teenager growing up, My Brother And I were almost always getting picked on by bullies in school, I could never fight back cause I was never the person to pick a fight or fight back with someone, that's the way I was. But now I'm in my mid 40's as a grown man I don't let bullies bother me at all anymore and if someone makes fun of me verbally or physically I just blow it off cause I choose not to fuss fight or argue.


When I was in 7th grade I had a bully her name was Rachael. She would always make me cry and did mean things to me. One time we were in music class and I made her angry for some reason. She then took out a lighter and attempted to set my long hair on fire when I wasn't looking. I cried of course because I was so timid. I then told our music instructor and I left during class. It was a horrible day! Later they sent her to another school.

But, in the end I forgive her.  :)

When I was in 7th grade I had a bully her name was Rachael. She would always make me cry and did mean things to me. One time we were in music class and I made her angry for some reason. She then took out a lighter and attempted to set my long hair on fire when I wasn't looking. I cried of course because I was so timid. I then told our music instructor and I left during class. It was a horrible day! Later they sent her to another school.

But, in the end I forgive her.  :)


I remember seeing my bully many years later and I remember seeing him in CVS, I was on line buying my stuff and I saw his face, I shook his hand and said hello, since we're now much older men, I think he has a wife and kid and whatever happened 27 years ago is now a faded memory.

Hmm, good question!  I was good in school, and many of my peers didn't appreciate that.  I was also quiet.  Wearing glasses also got me picked on - it was a triple-whammy package deal.  As a farm girl at the time, I was into the "great outdoors", but conversely didn't have much in the way of nightlife (I seldom made it to movie theaters, for instance).  Sometimes I'd do things with my brother(s), which could be fun and interesting - my older brother plays guitar and sometimes had friends over to "jam" (me likey).  I was very into pop culture, music and TV shows of the time.  Plus, being in a rural community can get boring (imagine that!) so to keep myself busy I learned to sew and crochet and spent much of my at-home time creating.  I don't regret that.  In the summers we sometimes spent time in Chicago, a change in perspective.  In fact between my Junior and Senior year I spent the bulk of my summer in a special pre-engineering program at a local university - that was not only fun, it was life-changing.  That put me on the path to the career I have today.  I also participated in some school sports, but I was only semi-athletic.  I was also boy crazy.  Surprisingly I had a few boyfriends even in that environment.  That aspect of life was fun - occasionally...

I was a well-behaved teenager. I didn't smoke, drink, or do drugs. I never dated anyone, either (one thing about my adolescence I regret). I was much more timid than I am now -- I would say now I'm a little more extroverted and adventurous. I was very much into academics and getting good grades. Ironically, I never took my SATs because I settled on going straight to community college after high school.  :D

My horns were the only thing keeping my halo in place. Yes, I was a good kid-which meant that I could get away with a lot.  ;)


Cat

As a teenager growing up, My Brother And I were almost always getting picked on by bullies. I could never fight back cause I was never the person to pick a fight or fight back with someone, that's the way I was. But now I'm in my mid 40's as a grown man I don't let bullies bother me at all anymore and if someone makes fun of me verbally or physically I just blow it off cause I choose not to fuss fight or argue.
Dang man that's rough. I bet now in your 40's. your like a cool dude.

Dang man that's rough. I bet now in your 40's. your like a cool dude.


Yeah I'm an older man now so If I get picked on by someone younger than me I really won't do anything, I try to be as chill as possible and hopefully I don't lose my temper.

I was tall my age and as a teenager I was the first to see X films at the cinema, and was always being asked about the films. My first viewing was "The Exorcist".

Yeah, I'm an older man now so If I get picked on by someone younger than me I really won't do anything, I try to be as chill as possible and hopefully I don't lose my temper.
Same I was bullied as well being someone who's on the autism spectrum I got called retarded quite a bit but I didn't let it get to me. Amazing how cool adults were the ones who were buried as kids in a lot of cases

Same I was bullied as well being someone who's on the autism spectrum I got called retarded quite a bit but I didn't let it get to me. Amazing how cool adults were the ones who were buried as kids in a lot of cases


I got picked on a lot growing up but speaking of kids all the time where I work, I see kids during the morning hours after 8:30am and after 2:30pm and If I see them playing on the wagons which they almost always do, I just let them play, I just blow the situation off. It's not worth it trying to chase these kids away so I just let it be.