I'm an Indian man currently pursuing my master's degree in Germany. Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I was brutally bullied because I didn't conform to the stereotypical standards my society sets for men. I had to give up my classical music and dance training at school because the boys used it as a tool for bullying. They verbally abused me, mocked me for my expressive gestures, and even called me horrible names in front of everyone.
I had to stand up for myself all the time, but I never found the courage to do so. I never had inner peace growing up. In high school, this escalated to another level. It was an all-boys school with over 2,500 students, and it was hell on earth.
One day, after dinner, I was walking from the cafeteria to my room, and a whole group of boys following me started teasing me about the way I was walking. Then it escalated into many other horrible things. I ran to my room, but I just sat in the hallway outside the door, crying hysterically. I cried so much, yet no one stopped to ask me if I was okay. Then it started to rain. I love rain, but even the rain couldn't ease my pain.
After an hour or so, my eyes were sore and dry. I had developed so much self-hatred for not being "normal." My mind went completely blank in that moment. It was still raining. I raised my head and saw a large streetlight on the opposite side. I saw a winged termite, attracted by the light, fly into the streetlight in the middle of the rain.
That moment, that very moment, changed my life completely. I thought, "If a winged termite, about to die from the morning sun, is still fighting against the rain to be near the light (where it wants to be), how hard should a human being, who has about 80 years to live, fight?" I immediately stood up and have been standing since
I realized that I should be a voice for so many others who might be experiencing similar horrors. This motivation made me stronger over time. I studied very hard, received free admission to TUM (http://m.sc/. Sustainable Resource Management), and volunteered for the United Nations to teach basic science in teacher-less Indian village schools.
All my friends love me for the love I give. Random compliments to brighten someone's day are my favorite thing. Now I break stereotypes, I speak out against misogyny, patriarchy, any kind of oppression, and most importantly, bullying. I no longer hesitate to call anyone out. I love myself so much I would date myself. Lol. I raise my students well, with an open mind and a strong heart. I have faith in myself, love for the purest forms of humanity, and hope for a better tomorrow.
I'm proud of what I've become. And I'm constantly looking for ways to make the world better than I found it. Every night, as I look at the lights in my room, I thank that winged termite.
