"All You Are Is Mean"

I have sang the Taylor Swift song, "Mean," in my head many times since it was released in 2010.  The lyrics seem to state exactly how I feel when someone is being "mean" to one of the Heinisch children.  Children are mean to one another at times.  I don't like to see that, but what really frustrates me and always turns the Taylor Swift music on is when one of our children is being mistreated by an adult.  In my mind an adult that belittles or humiliates a child is the true definition of bully.  It doesn't matter if the child is six or sixteen there is no excuse to make a child feel inferior.

Although the song, "Mean" used to be my ringtone for one of the adults in our children's live that was treating them poorly, it is not a Heinisch child who I sing this song for now, but one that I still love dearly.  If the adult in this child's life could step back and see what he/she is doing to this child's self esteem, I have to believe that the bullying would stop.  Then again, maybe I am wrong.  I haven't slept well the past couple of nights thinking about it.  Our guidance counselor teaches our children that the person with the most power in a bully/victim/bystander triangle is the bystander.  He is exactly correct.  Thus, I have to do something, just not sure what, yet.  I don't want to see a child that the Heinisch children think dearly of suffer anymore.    As we search for answers we will continue to be supportive, and I will play "Mean" several more times in my head.

You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me
You have knocked me off my feet again
Got me feeling like I'm nothing
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard
Calling me out when I'm wounded
You picking on the weaker man

You can take me down with just one single blow
But you don't know, what you don't know...

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation
You have pointed out my flaws again
As if I don't already see them
I walk with my head down
Trying to block you out 'cause I'll never impress you
I just wanna feel okay again

I bet you got pushed around
Somebody made you cold
But the cycle ends right now
'Cause you can't lead me down that road
And you don't know, what you don't know...

Someday I'll be living in a big ol' city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big loud opinion
But nobody's listening
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things
Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing
But all you are is mean

All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life
And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean