I don't think I expected my mother to know what to do when I was bullied as a child, maybe because I was skinny and tall and I figured that -she figured- I knew what to do. I was the (project raised Puerto-rican) that got her shoes from the Italian Market for a dollar, that went to a Catholic School that my mother couldn't afford. I was called Spic, skeezer,greasy, stinkin' rican,....I was teased my fair share. I had low self-esteem when I started highschool. I was afraid of my own shadow mainly because of the abuse I got from grade school and the hardships at home. I felt ugly and unattractive. It wasn't until the 10th grade when my father bought me my first pair of contact lenses that I felt brighter about my appearance. My eyes weren't funny looking any more and I felt pretty. As the time progressed I got cockier and aggressive and was going steady with a gorgeous guy in my Junior year of highschool and he happened to be the same race of those who teased me as a younger teen...the taunts and the rage that I felt didn't effect my heart but more of how I felt about the exterior ME.. I am happy to say though they were obscenely mean to me as a child I don't have the need to prove myself to them because I am beautiful,,,,no sorry -I AM BEAUTIFUL!