Diversity Rules Magazine

April 2012 The Medicine In Words By Donny Winter of LGBTQ-themed poetry and write a memoir of his high school days where he was a victim of frequent bullying. Words of encouragement can be just as pow- erful and memorable as words that lacerate a person's self-confidence. After discussing my coming out experience on YouTube and mak- ing my history of being bullied heard I real- ized that many people out there are capable of making a difference in this world with merely typing a couple sentences of encouragement or speaking in front of thousands of people. While my own healing experience came late, it was an intrinsic process. After initially starting with an "It Gets Better" video I decided to start using my own experiences with being bullied to alleviate my own memory and with hope, help someone else relate to that very same pain and find some sort of closure. My biggest obstacle was coming to terms with the fact that bullying still exists in my life and still bothers me -- even though most of it now is subtle bullying which can be just as painful. What is subtle bullying you ask? The best explanation is the bullying that people inflict while trying to make it seem like an innocent act of criticism or correction. A lot of the time subtle bullying can be utilized through phrases like: "You aren't," "You'll never be," "You can't," or "You're not good enough." For a long time I used to tell myself these things after hearing them for so many years from so many people. Consequently, on March 28th, 2012 my vision changed upon meeting the renown primatologist, conservationist, and activist Dr. Jane Goodall at Central Michigan University. Not only has she made advances in those fields, but she's also played a large influ- ence in anthropology, psychology, linguistics and environmental studies. She spoke of how everyone told her how she couldn't achieve her success during a time when women were limited by societal standards. Through hard Donny Winter is a gay rights activist on YouTube and recently graduated from Cen- tral Michigan Univer- sity with a degree in English and Anthro- pology. He's aiming to publish a manuscript work and many years of immersing herself in her passions she achieved the greatest triumph of all: proving all those wrong who thought she couldn't make a difference. I waited in line for an hour and a half to get an autograph and meet the women who inspired me to pursue Anthropology. Upon stepping within two feet in front of her, all I could say was, "It's an honor." She then looked at me and replied saying, "It's nice to meet you." Af- ter she said that she smiled, signed my paper, looked back at me and smiled again. In that brief moment everything that she said during her speech hit me like a ton of bricks. I finally realized that regardless how long it takes, I will achieve my dreams just as she did and make a difference. All it took, was a few words of wis- dom from someone who already achieved her dreams. In the span of five seconds she looked at me with a kindred expression and reminded me that I have the power to do great things even though so many people around me have thought otherwise. Perhaps that's the best way to help bully vic- tims heal and to help everyone heal, by re- minding them that they too can make a differ- ence. There is so much medicine in the words we speak to people, maybe all we have to do is tell people what Dr. Jane Goodall said: "If you reach to the stars, you might just get to the moon." Call toll-free: 1-888-595-6531 Are You Still Paying Too Much For Your Medications? You can save up to 90% when you fill your prescriptions at our Canadian Pharmacy. LipitorTM $544.06 Bottle A Typical US brand price (20mg x 100) Manufactured by PfizerTM Bottle B Atorvastatin* $45.00 *Generic equivalent of LipitorTM generic price (20mg x 100) Manufactured by Generics Manufacturers Get An Extra $25 Off & Free Shipping On Your 1st Order! Call the number below and save an additional $25 plus get free shipping on your first prescription order with Canada Drug Center. Expires Dec 31, 2012. Offer is valid for prescription orders only and can not be use in conjunction with any other offers. Order Now! Call Toll-Free: 1-888-595-6531 Please note that we do not carry controlled substances and a valid prescription is required for all prescription medication orders. Prescription price comparison above is valid as of December 16, 2011. All trade-mark (TM) rights associated with the brand name products in this ad belong to their respective owners. Call Toll-free: 1-888-595-6531 Twenty Their Price Our Price

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