Speak Up and Be Like Rudy!

When I was in the fourth grade, I was the new kid (again!), and this time it was close to the end of the year, so I wasn’t going to bother making new friends. Well, to my surprise, my parents bought me a 64 pack of Crayola Crayons! This made me an instant hit in the classroom, and one girl, Esther, always wanted to borrow my crayons. The problem was, she kept breaking them! One day, with palm sweating and heart racing,  I mustered up the courage to tell her she couldn’t use my crayons anymore. She didn’t yell, but through clinched teeth she told me she was going to beat me up after school. And she was apparently a woman of her word because she did just that…slapping me right across my face!

Scared and upset, I boarded the bus and when an older girl named Rudy got on, she asked me what was wrong. I told her what happened, and she stormed off the bus to go find my assailant (it was a city bus, so the driver was, well, a driver). Rudy told the bully in no uncertain terms that she would regret it if she ever touched me again.  Suddenly, my tears dried up and I started chanting, “Rudy! Rudy!” The rest of the bus caught on, and she humbly signaled for us to stop. To her eager onlookers, Rudy simply said “I can’t stand when people mess with my friends”. And just like that, she showed me how to use my voice for someone else. Esther was never a threat to Rudy, she didn’t speak up for her own interests, she spoke up for some else. She demonstrated what the Prophet Isiah said: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed…”

And while I was just a kid whose feelings (and cheek) were hurt, if Rudy had remained silent, I would have a very different memory of that day. Because of Rudy’s courage, I saw the power in using my position and voice for others.  As a result, the bully was neutralized, and I gained a script to use for future conflict. And, I was able to finish the school year without any more broken crayons!

Being a leader often means standing up for those who can’t. Bullying is not just a schoolyard problem, but one that permeates offices, families, and communities. Whether it’s in your workplace, family, community, or school, speak up for others and be like Rudy!