Hi Mikey,
It makes me sad to think of that young girl walking alone, and thinking how many other times she might have been alone or ostracized because of her physical condition.

I know, now,as an adult, I would walk or befriend anyone, regardless of their physical condition or what they looked like.

You said she looked like it was her first year of big kid school, so I am guessing either junior high or high school.

Such a difficult age, for most people. Must be so much more difficult for people in similar situations as this girl.

I don't know what I would have done at her age. I hope I would've had the courage and integrity to walk with her and befriend her.

I think I would have, if she was nice and I liked her. I had a lot of friends, even when I was younger,that would be considered different.
I have always been able to go up against a crowd to defend someone I care about, or an underdog.
Hasn't always been easy or pleasant, but I have been doing it all my life.(I think because I have 5brothers and sisters, I learned early how to stand up to a crowd).

I hope I would. Very good topic. Makes a person think, about what is really important in life.

It is interesting that you noticed her physical appearance and describe her as not being "normal " that in itself seems a judgement .

Had she been (to use your word .. normal) and walking alone would you still have the same concern ?

It is easy to project your feelings onto another .. for all you know . The young girl was happy to walk alone and didn't feel weird doing so . Perhaps she felt grownup and independent ???
As for the girls walking behind her .. my experience of school was that although it is a collective community there were many individuals who did not know each other within that school . They knew their own group of friends but not every member of the school wearing the same uniform. Do you assume that all members of a school care for their classmates . I don't know too many schools that would be typical off . Perhaps small country schools but certainly not large public schools .
concern is good . As long as it is warranted

I was always the smallest and quietest girl in school, and mostly was accepted. When I got older, 6th and 7th grade,things kind of changed. many avoided me and formed their groups and I was left out. I knew the kids from kindergarten all through high school and we were good with each other. Newer kids weren't that kind.

Not a good idea to refer to smaller people as midgets. You know who you are. You are making fun of people.

If friendship or common courtesy is not genuine, it’s patronizing. I don’t think the two girls
should walk with her out of obligation because you saw her a ‘not normal’. It all seemed
very innocent from what you described.

sorry double post .. system froze lol

I thought the same Bastet ...appears all very innocent .
Do not understand why she is being pitied or seen as a victim instead of a determined young girl making her way to school .

Thanks for your response blondey


The question is on how you would react or feel.
I'm just giving the situation.

So who is referring to 'midgets' cat?
I've used a different word?

I did.

And, I would never, in a million years,
make fun of midgets.

Especially, given, that the mother of my
spawn, happens to be a 'people mcnugget'.

I'm not even sure how to address them.
Probably would help if she said instead of just making the statement.

And I've friends who are. And to me they don't consider themselves not normal or as some say little people. So I don't think calling them by what they call themselves is really bullying.

yes ., it occurred to me Rock ... but in my mind she was just a solitary child

how to address them ., by their name if you know it . If not schoolgirl is acceptable . I guess I am not sure why it was nec to describe her as a dwarf or not normal ??? was it important in the scenario you presented ??

By their first name, if you happen to know them.
If not, perhaps, "hey, you!" might work.

Regardless of a person's height, or lack of,
it's basic common courtesy, to treat everyone
equally and fairly.

My thoughts as well.

Mikey if someone walked with me out of a sense of pity because I appeared to be different from what they see as being "normal", it would make me feel like a freak and pretty bad, I wouldn't want someone to do that unless they were genuinely interested in getting to know me, so I wouldn't do that to them either.

Like Rock said, maybe she likes walking by herself. There are times when I prefer to walk alone and sit alone in the lunchroom. It's annoying when people come up and say "oh you're alone, would you like me to sit with you"... Today, I'm able to tell them no, I prefer to sit alone. There was a time I would have let them sit and then felt like there was something wrong with me because I wasn't joining the crowd.

When we treat others as they are different or not quite normal, it tends to make them feel different and not quite normal, especially when they are young.

As far as how I would react.... I would respect her personal space and right to walk to school on her own.

That is why I asked the 'question' what would you do!
I'm just giving the picture.
It's nothing to do with what I think.

Dwarfism is the term for the condition.

The term 'normal ' is what we all generalise things by.

I understand that, and it's a good question.... perhaps it's just the picture you described that is ruffling feathers, including mine, lol.

Yes,, we use that term "normal" a lot. Including in the health profession when it comes to symptoms of illness and in helping prevent illnesses. In that respect I feel the concept of what's normal and what's not is very necessary.

When it comes to how we treat others according to how "normal" they appear... I feel that is wrong and serves no purpose other than to feed segregation.