Fall Back

There are those children amongst the group that fall back in the crowd because they have been so maltreated, abused, bullied, whatever word you would like to choose to use, that they are afraid of their on shadow because they may receive the same treatment as they have in the past.  Maybe they received this treatment from a neighbor, a fellow "friend", a sibling, or even one or both parents.  Some teachers are able to recognize this kind of a child and the good ones try to get them involved.  In the game of tag, softball, football, or whatever other game that might be politically correct these days, since the liberals don't want to discriminate against these types of children, the kids waiting to be picked to be on this team or that, are picked by their peers that they hang with, while the rest wait.  The others fall back hoping not to be picked as if the "problem" will go away.  Finally, in the end, one of the "captains" is stuck with the last picked.  The last picked already feels inadequate because he has been picked on by his siblings at home.  Especially, the one that didn't want him in the family to start with.  So, when they do get to play and they make a mistake during the play, that mistake just augmented the feelings of the "captain" as to why they didn't want to pick them in the first place.  Then that is followed up by negative remarks to the "fall back" making them feel worse.  It then becomes a vicious cycle because they didn't want to be there in the first place.  On the other hand, had words of encouragement been used, then the "fall back" would have lifted a bit to try harder to make a better play the next time.  But, human beings are not "wired" this way.  They are"wired" to be mean and hateful until it happens to them and they learn that they don't like it.  Some never learn.  Some carry it into adulthood and die with it thinking they have done no wrong and the problem is everyone else.  There are some of those teachers, I wonder how they ever got into the educational system.  They find these children that fall back, and they befriend them, trying to help them, all the while these children become the prey of a legal child molester, which only exacerbates the problem.  Same thing with priests.  You wonder how they get into the priesthood.  In defense of the good teachers out there that recognize the problem with "fall backs" and encourage them to excel in a whatever they do, I commend them.  For these children, it is best that they march ahead no matter how thick the mud is and don't look back.  I've taken the view, due to my particular situation, that when my fellow "soldier" has fallen, in this great battle that I am in, if I stop to help, I will also die.  Unfortunately, in my march, I have also died.  The Train Runs No More details this .  I have learned to pick my battles and where I can see that the battle will only be a life long war, I had to make a decision as to where I would be happiest.  Therefore, if I have lost or have been lost to some of my family, it is only because I don't give a rat's ass about battling with them anymore.  If it compels them to steal all that I have from me, then I must not need someone whom is compelled to steal from me.  So, I move on to a brave new world that I have chosen to create for myself, where I feel comfortable, where. I am appreciated, where people don't have to take from me, where people don't have to ridicule me because they have nothing better to do.  It is my world now and I am the happier for it.  It is the world where I am treated the way I want to be treated.  And in return, I treat them with the same respect they have shown me.