One Step at a Time.

I'll admit right from the top that I'm not sure if my example really applies here.

I was walking to my bus stop the other morning and the advertisement on one side was for the Bell Walk for Kids Help Phone. Their function is quite clear...

Every day, Kids Help Phone counsellors answer calls and online questions from across Canada. No matter what the problem or concern, our counsellors are there to provide immediate and caring support, information and, if necessary, referral to a local community or social service agency.

Very nice, and I'm sure not always an easy job.

It jumped out at me because of the Virginia Tech shooting earlier in the week. Typically, when something like this happens, you hear that the shooter was a loner, picked on, etc.

I don't know if that's the case in this situation because to tell you the truth, I refuse to give him the attention he so obviously wanted. I watched that night's news coverage, but when I saw on Yahoo's main page later that night that he had taken the time to send details to media outlets, I made it a point to look the other way. I have no interest in playing along with his dying (and killing) wishes.

That said, I got picked on a bit as a kid (because of my size. I'm a little over five feet tall so was an easy target), but I know some people received it far worse than I did. Frustrating as I found it (and don't get me wrong, it never reached the stage of depression, long-term unhappiness, etc.) I can't imagine what some of the people who had it really bad went through.

I don't know if the option to call these lines enters the mind of those subjected to the worst of it, but hopefully this event and the press it generates gives someone the right idea.