Bully

Bully has become a news worthy word since it has gone beyond school yard fights or lunch money demands. People are taking their own life to escape the bullies wrath. I've even noticed in my own teenager's life how she attempts to make me the butt of her jokes to fill silent space in the presence of others. I found myself explaining just tonight that she need not try to make someone feel small in order for her to feel larger and if she needed to hear chatter then talk about herself, that would be better. My tolerance level is a bit different since I've learned to stand up for myself and maybe before I'd laugh along with her and I'm sure she did not mean much harm, but if you do it at home. I'm afraid you might not notice a class mate or friend that wishes you would just leave them alone. Being the punchline of someone else joke isn't always funny. Sometimes that punch really hurts instead.