Unmentioned Heros

Perhaps The Lockdown of 2020, Gives Way to an Unmentioned Hero?

By Tamara Thompson Author and Poet:

The humanity we have seen this past year in 2020 while in lock-down has been a huge heart warming step towards love, compassion and putting others first. The feelings seemed to have all been globally charged with a mutual trust to stay home and stay safe to protect the boundaries of those who may be in harm's way of catching a deadly virus.

There were many heroes born, with the applauds and recognition that so many may have deserved for quite some time.

Although, there is one hero I feel that has not been recognized, as a different kind of Pandemic was on the rise prior to the 2020 Lock-down.

The victims of bullying and cyberbullying, are those heroes!

Including the many who have been bullied on site at their workplace. This abuse was a Pandemic that carried on for far too long. The bullies were given all the means to stop in their nature to cause abusive actions, which were left in their complete control; they too somehow felt that they could not stop this. As far as I have seen, though, they would not relent. The pandemic of bullying was different from the Pandemic we all saw when COVID-19, not only did it have massive headlines, brought the world to an isolated place. We were asked to save lives by keeping within our comforts. Two pandemics, where one took over, the other was released.

Psychology magazine a Canadian publications says; “The best defense against bullying is being socially skilled—teaching all children social skills and allowing them to develop confidence in their own abilities. As social engineers for young children, parents are especially important in bully-proofing their children: They can regularly inquire about social challenges their children face and role-play possible solutions. The second-best defense against bullying is to walk away and not fight back.” From psychology magazine

In my estimation, walking away for some has been truly necessary, essential and needed.

Those who were on the receiving end of this awfully large pandemic were given a day to do just that, “walk away, without discursive action.”

Staying home for this brave bunch, advocating as often as I could in my professional career, through means of writing, motivational speaking in schools, or the one on one advocacy I have been part of. I have become aware that this Pandemic I speak of, where bullying had no chance in stepping back, keeping healthy boundaries seemed impossible.

Those that were up against a wall, in a sense, were able to finally celebrate a victory of their own... in lockdown.

For this one offer, I see it clearly as a silver lining filled with so much cheer, for these heroes. This abuse can cause many different forms of emotional breakdowns; leading to an almost uncertain future where hurtful actions against them. I am positive this conflict has perhaps weighed on their minds, hearts and adding burden to a life filled with this ridicule. Showing up (or not) to a place to learn or to make money, was a choice these heroes had to justify in their own merit, every single day, only fighting for their purpose in life. For me though, that was given peace and a chance to leave a battle ground that was not seen in clear form and reconciliation.

Some may not consider the ongoing attack of a bully as a pandemic,

though for those having to put on a brave face to weather a day filled with uncertainty, this pandemic is just that to them, over. As a mixed blessing in disguise, allowing this hero to break free, walk with their head held high, without a chance for others to continue to banter on.

As I think back on this past year, many things have been magnified. Creating healthy boundaries was a slogan, worth the effort. Having a six feet apart rule of thumb, was necessary. Though prior to some, the clash of the bully and the victim was not solved.

The lockdown of 2020, allowed just that. A stance in healthy boundaries.

Where even one sole case in bullying, possibly has bestowed a new life, a better life, giving way to a new hope, and to be just left alone free to endurance, where passing tests in school, was possibly the least of many concerns. Or where making mistakes on the job, could have been easily irritated in rational, stemming from a workplace bully.

As far as I can see, being an emotional wellness advocate, speaking to mothers on the playgrounds for years, as a conflict resolution author, poet and blogger. Even prior to my son joining in his own schoolyard play. There were many I have talked to that have also concluded their stance on this pandemic I write about. With many we had no understanding of how to step away from this burden, knowing the ramifications, and the cost of what bullying leads to. A future dismissed because of cruel behaviour.

For some it may have been a wide eyed nightmare in facing strife against them somehow socialized to feel the need to accept this in any way, for this advocate as well, I was solely glad that those hurt by this act, was given a chance to say goodbye, to be sent home and be in comfort, out of harms way.

Though in lockdown, a sense of peace perhaps came from this. I feel some left the school yards, as the doors shut in a flash, perhaps gladly so with no more days to count on being bullied.

The heroes I have mentioned and stepping walking away with “their heads held high”

While another world pandemic took over, many lives were given another day to begin again. Possibly a new horizon, a new sense of freedom, a blessing in disguise, time to recover and to regain in their power. To heal and to have a mind made up to carry on without a fear lodging over head.

Many I know have been concerned with Bullying, as I watched some in my family and friends circle having to endure this endlessly, and for some in terrifying and horrific ways, where protection in this seemed to be minimal.

Today the new normal brings with it boundaries, within this, we are to remain at a 6 feet apart distance at least. In this we are most certainly saving lives, for the heroes I speak and write for, more than possibly never noticed, at first ever to be seen as heroic.

Perhaps we needed to retreat to look within, to heal wounds we never knew we had to heal, or to shed light on the hero within.

A silver lining to some was given in many ways, and the hero that came before the lockdown of 2020. For some it was a perfect chance to say goodbye. A hero was given a place and space to live in peace just as it should be.

What I do know is that kids are our future. With a pandemic of bullying and enduring this, filled with such tragedy or to lose out in a workplace, only for those bullied, wanting to gain the means to feed a family, while learning these skills was being bombarded, this was a pandemic needing a much closer look and evaluation.

A blessing in disguise; a sense of self love, self respect, has been gained in the lockdown of 2020 where peace was able to form within.

Before You Were Born and other titles by Tamara Thompson can be found on Amazon, Chapters/Indigo and Barnes and Noble Published by Chipmunka Publishing an England based mental health publisher’s (published as a book in 2010) Chipmunka Publishing is now a self-publishing agency.

Titles by the Author

• Before You Were

• Born Happy Birthday Jack

• Busy With Bee

• I Dream In Poetry

• The Forwards

• Poems of a Codependant

Tamara can be reached @ i. Blog Your

Business Tamara can be hired as a High School-Speaker and Podcast Host.