Dear Misunderstood... Break The Silence

<p>&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://shimona.bandcamp.com/track/dear-misunderstood"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Dear Misunderstood by Shimona&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

When I was first approached by Higher Productions to write a song against bullying, I immediately fell onto my psychology and counselling training - yes this was a worthy cause and something I often had to address when kids stepped into my Counseling Room (when I worked as a counselor at Wells International in BKK)

But when it came to the actual writing of the song, I placed myself in the shoes of a person who has been bullied... and realized - I'd been bullied too.

BULLYING is not just what we see in movies - big popular guy beating up small scrawny nerd, or pretty popular girl humiliating geeky misfit.

In fact, bullying happens more than we realize.

When I was a freshman in Nanyang Polytechnic, I was placed in a class where I did not fit.

Have you ever been in that kind of situation? Where you don't really "click" with anyone else, can't seem to find a friend, have different ideas and habits than everyone else...?

Well, that was me.

To make matters worse, I was appointed as some kind of group leader at one point, and ended up being criticized by some of the girls in class (ah lians as some would call them). They really scared me back then... so I just kept quiet and tried to hide myself.

I slowly became more withdrawn, missed classes altogether, and ended up failing that semester because I missed too many classes.

When all this was happening, I remember feeling like there was something wrong with me.

Why couldn't I make friends? Why did they hate me?

I couldn't explain to the teachers why I felt like that, or why I wasn't doing well in class because I felt so lousy.

Years on, I know now - our socio-emotional state has a very big impact on our learning behaviour. And learning in a SAFE environment is fundamental to good learning.

So when I wrote the song, "Dear Misunderstood", I wrote it from a very personal place.

I imagined what it would have been like if I had had one person, one friend - who told me that there was nothing wrong with me, and that I was not alone... that semester in NYP would have been very different.

I hope this song helps more people to understand what bullying is really about.

It's about being socially ostracized. Yes, there is physical bullying, but what's more common yet less known is that there is social bullying... and there's something we can do about that - look out for one another... stand up for that person being socially ostracized... be a friend to someone who looks alone.

PLEASE - if you've ever felt alone and powerless, you know how it feels - take a stand with me this 15th July - we will be marching along Orchard Rd to raise awareness.

DOWNLOAD THE SONG FOR FREE:

http://shimona.bandcamp.com/track/dear-misunderstood

Join us on 15th of July at The Cathay as we stand up against bullying!

Visit http://www.facebook.com/higherproduction for more details!

Email HigherProductionsSG@gmail.com to pre-register!

"Dear Misunderstood"

You say

I don't understand how you feel

when everyone's pointing at you

and you don't know what you should do

Well I know

better than you would have thought

I know what it feels like

when they just carry on laughing at you

So take my hand cuz I've been there too

Be my friend I'll take care of you

You're not alone,

have courage to sing this out loud and proud

We can take a stand together

we're not that different at all

when you and I are here together

our differences seem small

Look around and you'll find there are people who care

just because you don't see doesn't mean they're not there

to take a stand, together we can

You think

Somehow that it's all your fault

that you don't fit in

So you try to hide, hoping you'll fade away

But I'm here

so don't be afraid anymore

I'll sit right beside you

and help you look for the strength to go on